Description
Delight in the seasonal flavors with these Pumpkin Magic Bars featuring a buttery crust, layers of pumpkin pie filling, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, and pecans, all baked to golden perfection and finished with sweetened condensed milk for a rich, indulgent treat perfect for fall gatherings and dessert tables.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or pumpkin pie filling)
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Pumpkin Magic Bar Layers
- 1 cup pumpkin pie filling
- 11 ounces butterscotch chips
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 11×7 inch baking dish with foil and spray it with cooking spray. This will help in easy removal of the bars later and prevent sticking.
- Make the crust: In a large bowl, cream together the unsalted butter and light brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 2 minutes. Then add the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of sea salt, mixing until fully combined with no dry spots. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form an even crust layer.
- Bake the crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn lightly golden and the crust no longer looks raw.
- Add pumpkin layer: Remove the crust from the oven and evenly spread 1 cup of pumpkin pie filling over the baked crust.
- Layer toppings: On top of the pumpkin layer, scatter the butterscotch chips first, followed by the toffee bits and then the chopped pecans, ensuring an even distribution.
- Add sweetened condensed milk: Finally, pour the 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk evenly over all the layered ingredients to bind them together during baking.
- Bake the assembled bars: Place the dish back into the oven and bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool and chill: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, transfer the bars to the refrigerator for chilling before slicing. This cooling and chilling process helps the bars set solid for clean cuts and enhanced flavor melding.
- Store and serve: Keep the bars refrigerated until ready to serve. These bars are best enjoyed chilled and stored in an airtight container for freshness.
Notes
- Because of the pumpkin in the recipe, these bars should always be stored in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage.
- The pumpkin pie spice blend listed produces more than required for the crust; store any leftovers in an airtight container for future pumpkin recipes.
- For enhanced pumpkin flavor, you can add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice directly into the pumpkin puree before layering.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approximate)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
