Name: Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Crust:; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups rolled oats; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ cup light brown sugar; 1 cup salted butter, very softened; Filling:; 1 ¼ cups pumpkin purée; 12 oz evaporated milk; ½ cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; ¼ teaspoon salt; Pecan Topping Ingredients:; 1 cup chopped pecans; ½ cup light brown sugar; 2 tablespoon salted butter, melted

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Listen. I love pie more than the average person.

But dessert bars? Bars are the cool, black leather jacket wearing cousin who always brings the best bottle of wine to Thanksgiving.

These pumpkin pecan bars are fall perfection: spiced pumpkin filling, flaky crust with a sugared pecan crunch topping.

They’re perfect for Friendsgiving, brunch, or just because you accidentally bought too much canned pumpkin again.

Pumpkin pecan pie bars with a frosting swirl on top, arranged on a wooden board lined with parchment paper.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Pecan Bars
Suggested Equipment
How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars
Step by Steps for you Visual Learners
Recipe Notes
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
More Pumpkin Desserts to Try
PIN TO SAVE FOR LATER
Recipe
Comments

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Pecan Bars

Two desserts in one, a creamy pumpkin pie filling topped with a crunchy, sweet pecan layer.
Easier than pie: just bake, slice, and serve.
Perfect for gatherings like Thanksgiving, potlucks, dessert tables, or Friendsgiving.
Uses pantry ingredients, including canned pumpkin, pecans, oatmeal and pumpkin pie spice.
Quick fall dessert: comes together easily for last-minute baking.
Make-ahead & freezer-friendly. You can make it in advance and freeze it so have a dessert ready whenever you need one.

That said, you'll be making this 13x9 pan dessert in three steps: make and partially bake the crust, make the filling and bake it again, then make the nut topping and finish baking.

Suggested Equipment

13x9 pan
parchment paper (is Dollar Tree parchment any good?)
large mixing bowl
sturdy spatula

Oatmeal Pie Crust Ingredients

Bowls of rolled oats, light brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, flour, and sticks of salted butter.

all-purpose flour
rolled oats
baking powder
baking soda
light brown sugar
salted butter, softened

Pumpkin Pie Filling for Bars

Bowls of pumpkin purée, spices, sugars, egg, and milk on a white surface, labeled with ingredient names.

pumpkin purée
evaporated milk
light brown sugar
granulated sugar
large egg
ground cinnamon
vanilla extract
pumpkin pie spice or (make your own pumpkin spice)
sea salt

Pecan Topping for Pumpkin Bars

Three bowls containing melted salted butter, chopped pecans, and light brown sugar.

Pecans (how to toast pecans)
Butter
Brown Sugar

See recipe card for ingredient amounts.

Pumpkin bars with crunchy pecans and whipped cream rest on parchment paper.

How to Make Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

Bake the crust.

Mix the pumpkin filling.

Make the pecan crumble.

Layer and bake until color deepens and sets.

Cool for at least an hour and slice into bars.

Step by Steps for you Visual Learners

Green bowl with oats, brown sugar, and white flour. — Mix crust by adding all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

A green mixing bowl with oats and flour, with melted butter pooled in the center. — Add softened butter to the bowl and stir with a spatula to combine.

A green mixing bowl filled with oats and flour, perfect for making on a white background. — You can use either your hands or a hand mixer for putting the pie crust together.

Green mixing bowl with a ball of crumbly dough on a white background. — You'll have a ball of oatmeal pie dough to press into your 13x9 pan. Line it with parchment first for easier slicing, removal and cleanup.

Unbaked dough pressed into a rectangular baking pan, with fork holes poked across the surface. — Be sure to prick the pie crust with a fork or chopstick before baking it.

A rectangular pan filled with golden-brown pumpkin pecan pie bars on a white background. — Your crust for these bars will be slightly golden when finished baking.

Making the crust is the most labor intensive part of this dessert.

The pumpkin filling comes together quickly in a bowl with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, as does the pecan topping.

A glass bowl with an egg, spices, milk, and pumpkin puree on a white surface. — Mix spices, salt, pumpkin puree, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

A glass bowl filled with creamy orange sauce viewed from above on a white background. — Once mixed, pour over the oatmeal crust.

Rectangular pan filled with smooth, orange-colored batter for delicious pumpkin pecan pie bars, ready to be baked. — Then bake.

A glass bowl filled with chopped candied pecans, perfect for topping sits on a white background.

A pumpkin spice oatmeal bar topped with whipped cream and pecans on parchment paper. — Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars are ready to serve—rich, gooey, and layered with warm spices and a buttery crunch in every bite.

Recipe Notes

Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

Remember to prick the crust before baking.

Remember you'll be parbaking the crust before layering it with the pumpkin filling and baking it again.

You'll do a final 15-minute bake after scattering the candied pecans across the top.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Pumpkin Pecan Bars can be baked up to 2 days in advance.

Once cooled, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Bring to room temperature before serving, or warm slightly for the best flavor and texture.

Freezing Instructions

Bake the bars as directed, then cool completely.

Cut into squares (or leave whole in the pan), wrap in plastic wrap, and then in foil.

Freeze for up to 2 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.

For a fresh-from-the-oven touch, warm slightly in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes.

These bars will freeze great once you've baked them.

Because pumpkin puree is the main ingredient, you can't freeze them without baking them because the texture will be weird.

This method is just like how you would freeze cookies or freeze brownies after baking or freeze lemon bars.

Seven pumpkin pecan bars, some topped with cream, arranged on parchment paper with scattered pecans and oats.

More Pumpkin Desserts to Try

If you love to make dessert bars, try these basic but delish pumpkin bars, which are simpler to make than these.

Planning pumpkin pies? I got you! Try one of the fan favorite pumpkin pies, a creamy pumpkin pie made with sweetened condensed milk or a pumpkin pie with cream cheese, or classic pumpkin pie made with evaporated milk and canned pumpkin.

If you find yourself out of pumpkin spice, try one of these five pumpkin pie spice swaps.

If you'd rather the crunch from a pecan dessert, try one of my most popular recipes, Pecan Graham Cracker Bark or Mini Pecan Tarts or Espresso Date Pecan Pie or Classic Pecan Pie.

PIN TO SAVE FOR LATER

Pumpkin pecan pie bars with cream cheese frosting on parchment paper, with text Best Pumpkin Pecan Bars. — These Pumpkin Pecan Bars start with a buttery pie crust base, layered with smooth spiced pumpkin filling, and finished with a sweet, crunchy sugared pecan topping. Easier to make and serve than pie, these bars are perfect for Thanksgiving dessert tables, fall potlucks, or cozy weekend baking. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Visit Kitchenserf.com for more recipes. #pumpkindessert #pumpkinbars #fallbaking #thanksgivingdessert #pecanrecipes #dessertbars

Two pumpkin oat bars stacked, topped with pecans and a swirl of frosting, on a wooden board.

Of course, if you want to gild the lily, top it with a creamy scoop of homemade mascarpone cream or homemade whipped cream.

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Recipe

Yield: 24

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars

These pumpkin pecan bars start with a flaky crust and then are topped with a spiced pumpkin filling and a sugared pecan topping.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Crust:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup salted butter, very softened
Filling:
1 ¼ cups pumpkin purée
12 oz evaporated milk
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
Pecan Topping Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon salted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and brown sugar. Add softened butter and mix with a spatula or a pastry cutter until a soft dough forms.
Press dough evenly into the prepared pan and prick lightly with a fork.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the crust just begins to turn golden.
While the crust bakes, whisk together the pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin spice, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin mixture over the partially baked crust and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together chopped pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl.
Carefully sprinkle the pecan topping over the pumpkin layer and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is only slightly jiggly.
Allow to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars.

Notes

Make sure to use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 24 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 237Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 35mgSodium 140mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 2gSugar 15gProtein 3g

Nutrition information is an estimate because I am not a registered dietician.