And I might also take this moment to reveal that I hate mint. Put down that pitchfork! Sorry, but it reminds me of toothpaste. I can’t associate toothpaste with dessert. I’ve tried. I’ve failed. It’s over.
So will you see any mint recipes on this blog? Maybe. I can put aside my personal feelings and bake with mint every now and then. But I won’t be jumping on that holiday peppermint bandwagon. It’s just not who I am.
These days, my thoughts are distracted with pie. What kinds of pie will grace our Thanksgiving table this year? I have some great choices coming, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I wanted to merge two of my favorite desserts: pumpkin pie and crumb bars!
I’m a sucker for crumb anything. Something about crumbs, man. I have no idea. I just cannot resist it. Similarly, pumpkin pie has a completely addictive quality. I tell myself that it’ll be one slice, and that turns into half a pie. It’s that good.
What could be better than doing a mashup? Nothing, ever. Which is why I’ve taken my favorite crumb bar base and added a classic pumpkin pie filling to serve as the center. The outcome is crazy. Crazy addictive!
While I do admit that this takes both a mixer and a separate bowl for the filling, it’s not a horribly long time investment. Besides, a lot of life’s best desserts do take a little extra time. I’m sorry that I’m still stuck on pumpkin, but we’re still in prime pie season. Take time to smell the autumn flowers before rushing into winter with its cool mint!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients by hand briefly. Then put the bowl on the mixer base and put the butter and egg in the bowl. Beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Press half of the mixture into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin pie filling. Combine the sugars, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir until blended. Mix in the pumpkin and the evaporated milk, stirring until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin pie filling over the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and crumble on the remaining topping. Return to the oven for 30 minutes until golden and set.
- Cool completely and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.
But then I made my first pumpkin recipe of the season and I couldn’t help it. Suddenly, I was eating tons of pumpkin. I was re-hooked. I forget every year how delicious pumpkin recipes are! How can I forget?
Well, I’m on the bandwagon now, people. I’ve been baking several pumpkin recipes each week. And the truth is, pumpkin is just so easy to work with. It’s a baker’s dream. It’s not like we’re baking and coring our own pumpkins most of the time. That canned puree is the best stuff on earth.
Plus, it’s easier to go gluten-free with pumpkin. My favorite gluten-free oat flour tastes perfect with it. The flavors are completely complementary. So of course, off I rushed to bake my husband these bars.
Even though he keeps reminding me that pumpkin isn’t his thing, I don’t necessarily listen to my husband when he shares his preferences. It’s autumn, baby. Gotta go with the flow! And pumpkin is non-negotiable right now.
These are dense and soft at the same time, so perfect for any bar. And there’s pumpkin pie spice in there too, getting everyone ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Fall holidays are the best!
If you’d like to bake these with regular flour, go for it. But for my gluten-free friends, here’s another winner!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar and egg. Stir until well-combined. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and stir again.
- Mix the oat flour and spices together. Pour into the pumpkin mixture and stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Cool and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.