Ingredients
Pecan Shortbread Crust:
pecan halves
all‑purpose flour
light brown sugar
salt
unsalted butter
Pumpkin Layer:
light brown sugar
granulated sugar
pure pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
evaporated milk
large eggs
pumpkin pie spice
Pecan Topping:
coarsely chopped pecans
light brown sugar
melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and grease a 9×13-inch metal baking pan.
- In a food processor, chop pecan halves. Add flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter, then pulse until large crumbs form.
- Press crust mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin layer ingredients until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- While pumpkin layer bakes, mix chopped pecans, brown sugar, and melted butter for topping.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over bars and bake an additional 10 minutes, until edges are set and center slightly jiggles.
- Cool completely for about 2 hours before slicing into bars. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Swap shortbread crust for graham cracker crust if desired.
- Top with whipped cream, ice cream, caramel drizzle, or maple syrup for extra indulgence.
- Use walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts instead of pecans.
- Halve recipe for an 8×8-inch pan; keep crust bake time and reduce total baking time by ~5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 105mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
