Recipe--Pumpkin Pie Bars

Last weekend, we had a reunion with our Haiti team. The day before our get-together, I had been reading the Tasty Kitchen blog and came across this recipe. I knew right away that I had to try it. I took a risk and made it for our guests even though I had never tried it before (that seems to be a tradition in our family, to test out recipes on guests.) J They turned out delicious, and everyone loved them! These bars taste like a cross between pumpkin pie and coffee cake. Even though Thanksgiving has passed, make sure you try them!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

 

1 box (18 oz. size) yellow cake mix, divided

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 eggs

¼ cup cold butter, diced

 

This recipe has three parts, a crust, a filling and a topping. Before you start anything, preheat your oven to 350°F, and grease a 13×9 pan.

 

For the crust:

Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix for the topping. Pour remaining cake mix into a bowl, then stir in the one beaten egg and the 1/2 cup of melted butter until the mixture is well combined. Press evenly into the 13×9 pan and set aside.

 

For the filling:

Combine 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, the ginger, cloves, salt, pumpkin, evaporated milk and 2 eggs together. Using a whisk, stir until smooth. Pour over the crust.

 

For the topping:

Stir together the 1 cup of reserved cake mix, and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cut in the 1/4 cup of diced butter using a pastry blender or a fork. Sprinkle evenly over the filling.

 

Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until filling is set. Allow to cool completely, cut into 24 bars, and serve!