Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe

Sarah Jordan, named a 2013 F&W Best New Pastry Chef, shares a recipe for pumpkin pie bars that distills the Thanksgiving classic into an easy-to-make handheld snack. A simple, press-in crust is the base for a pumpkin filling spiced with warm cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger.

Pumpkin puree versus canned pumpkin pie filling

For the most part, no. Pumpkin puree is just that: plain pumpkin (or sometimes, another winter squash) that’s been processed to a smooth texture. On the other hand, canned products labeled “pumpkin pie filling” or “pumpkin pie mix” will typically have added sugar and spices in addition to the puree. For this recipe, look closely at your can to make sure it contains 100 percent pumpkin — or puree some yourself, if desired — to ensure the flavors will be balanced.

How do you keep the bottom of the bars from getting soggy?

Par-baking or blind-baking — baking the crust partly or fully before adding a filling or topping — is a common way to avoid soggy bottoms in pies and other crusty baked goods. For this recipe, you’ll do so when preparing your baked press-in crust. For maximum flakiness, ensure all the ingredients are as cold as possible when assembling, and press the crust evenly into the pan to avoid thicker parts that may end up underbaked.

Notes from the Food & Wine test kitchen

Before starting this recipe, prepare a baked press-in crust. This crust is sturdy enough to hold the creamy filling, but its texture hits somewhere between a typical pie crust and a more crumbly, tender shortbread.

The filling here gets some added creaminess from evaporated milk. Make sure you are not using sweetened condensed milk, which is thicker and much sweeter; the two ingredients are not interchangeable.