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Brown Butter Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe

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4.4 from 6 reviews

These Brown Butter Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bars are a delightful twist on traditional pumpkin pie, featuring a nutty, buttery crust topped with a spiced pumpkin filling and finished with a fluffy whipped cream topping sprinkled with cinnamon. Perfect for fall gatherings, these bars combine rich flavors and a satisfying texture in an easy-to-cut format.

Ingredients

Crust

  • ¾ cups (105g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup (50g) finely chopped pecans
  • 5 tbsp (70g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling

  • 1 ½ cups (375g) pure pumpkin puree
  • ¾ cup (165g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup (180ml) evaporated milk or half & half cream
  • 1 tbsp (8g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, browned

Topping

  • ½ cup (120ml) cold heavy 35% whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
  • ground cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Secure the parchment with binder clips to hold it in place on the edges of the pan.
  2. Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour, light brown sugar, salt, and finely chopped pecans. Mix well before adding the cooled melted butter. Stir until the mixture is evenly incorporated. Press this mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom and about half an inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the crust turns lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 375°F.
  3. Brown the Butter: In a small frying pan over medium heat, stir unsalted butter constantly as it cooks. Continue until the butter bubbles, crackles, and foams, and brown bits form, indicating the milk solids have toasted. Remove from heat and let the brown butter cool slightly before use.
  4. Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, egg, evaporated milk or cream, and the browned butter until smooth. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk again until fully combined. Pour this pumpkin filling over the slightly warm crust.
  5. Bake the Filling: Bake the combined bars at 375°F for 5 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is set and no longer jiggles in the center.
  6. Cool and Chill: Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Let the bars cool completely. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to set firmly.
  7. Cut and Prepare Topping: Remove the chilled bars from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares. In a medium bowl, whip the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
  8. Decorate: Pipe the whipped cream over each bar using an open star piping tip. Sprinkle lightly with ground cinnamon for a final touch.

Notes

  • Use binder clips to keep parchment paper in place when lining the pan for easy bar removal.
  • Watch the butter carefully when browning to avoid burning; remove from heat as soon as it turns golden brown with nutty aroma.
  • For a richer flavor, use half & half cream instead of evaporated milk.
  • Bars can be made a day ahead and refrigerated to enhance flavor and texture.
  • Optional: Toast the chopped pecans before mixing into the crust for extra depth.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/brown-butter-pecan-pumpkin-pie-bars-recipe/