Pumpkin Pie Bars

As written, I would give this recipe 4 stars but due to its potential I bumped it up to 5. I made the following adjustments to the recipe and the result was amazing! I am not sure if I will ever be making a traditional pumpkin pie again! Instead of milk, I used a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, regular or fat free. For the pumpkin, I used (2) 15 ounce cans of packed pumpkin but added 1/4 cup sugar, about 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and a few dashes of ground cloves to the mixture. I let it cook for 65-70 minutes at 350 degrees. It smelled so good while it was in the oven that we couldn't wait for it to cool and ended up eating it with a dollop of whipped cream while it was still kind of warm. Heavenly!

I love this recipe it is so delicious. Always a big hit when I make it. I use I Can't Believe it is not butter in the topping as it seems to taste better, also I use a 16 oz can of pumpkin not the 3 cups per recipe. It does need to bake about 10-15 minutes longer also. MUST use Carnation evaporated milk in the recipe, DO NOT use regular milk. Good Luck

Great recipe. Had to bake it for 10 more minutes than the recipe called for, to make sure the pumpkin layer is set. Goes wonderfully with some whipped cream on top. Cool and refreshing, too.

The ingredient list should say pumpkin pie filling NOT canned pumpkin.

I used spice cake since I didn't have yellow. I also added a cup of semi-sweet choc. chips to the pumpkin mixture. I used sweetened cond. milk instead of whole milk. I added two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the can of pumpkin I used. It was really easy to make and the house smelled wonderful! I posted a picture of my finished bars. They truly were EASY to prepare and loved by my hubby and 20 month old daughter. DON'T FORGET TO REFRIGERATE IT AFTER IT HAS COOLED.

In the ingredients, this recipe should read 1 can of pumpkin pie filling. If you use the regular pumpkin, the bars are too bitter.

Love this recipe! I took the advice of other reviews and used evaporated milk and added sugar and pie spice to the pumpkin mixture. Also, since I add nuts to everything, I put about 1/3 cup of chopped pecans to the topping and because of that used a little more butter as well. Looking forward to making these treats again.

I am living in South America for a year and really missing home. It's July and winter here, I was particularly missing home a few days ago (it was below freezing). I wanted to make something that reminded me of home, pumpkin pie bars my mom makes. I searched and searched for a recipe I could find all the ingredients for...it took hours. I finally found this recipe with great delight! I went to the store but of course no canned pumpkin. I remembered my mom telling me canned pumpkin isn't nearly as good as cooking your own squash. Seeing how I didn't have any other choice, I bought Kabocha squash (it was either that or butternut). There is a gas shortage right now, so no oven. I cooked the squash in the microwave with a little water and covered. Pureed it in the blender with about 2/3 c of sugar, 1/2 t cloves, 1 t cinnamon and 1/2 t all spice. A medium sized squash made exactly three cups. I followed the rest of the recipe as written (was delighted it called for regular milk, since evaporated is about $4 a can). Baked it at a neighbors house and within hours it was devoured. I am baking another one as I type this. I would agree it's best served cold, but probably won't last that long!

This went over very well. However, I thought the pumpkin mixture needed sugar too. Next time I will add Eagle Brand milk. The streusel topping should be make with real butter and not oleo or margarine. Too watery. My topping clumped together and was hard to handle.

Super! Tastes just like a pumpkin pie. I used a jelly roll pan and used them as cookies.

This recipe tastes amazing, but it came out more of a cobbler like consistency than a chewy bar I thought it would be and just fell apart. The cake at the bottom was too soft not a crust-like bottom I had hoped for. It tastes great though. I Let them sit OVERNIGHT in the fridge and they turned out WONDERFULLY!!! They were a HIT at work! Gone in 20mins!!! Make sure you have them sit OVERNIGHT in the fridge to set and they will be bars you can pick up and eat. YUMMY!

I've made it twice exactly as written and have loved both times. Both times it has taken a bit longer to cook than stated by about 5 to 10 mins.

This recipe is EXCELLENT!!! I got many compliments on this and many people also asked for the recipe. Thank you for sharing it! Follow the recipe exactly and you shouldn't have any problems. The pumpkin pie filling shouldn't just be pure canned pumpkin or you won't have the needed spices. Also, I suggest following the recipe as indicated for butter and NOT trying margerine due to the crust thickening. My daughter loves this and turned this recipe in for her 3rd grade class cookbook.

This recipe was a bit of a challenge. It was my Plan B because I couldn't find regular canned pumpkin in the store to make my original recipe. I haven't tasted it myself, but my husband said "your pumpkin stuff is awesome". :) I made one significant change on accident. I used sweetened condensed milk instead of regular or evaporated milk. I didn't realize this was wrong until after it was done. At first I thought this would make the dish too overy sweet, but it seems to have turned out ok. The other thing I want to say is that this dish was NOT "easy". I cook a lot and make all types of recipes with varying levels of difficulty. This one might be considered "moderate", but is by no stretch "easy". I allowed this to cool for about 30 minutes, and then left in the fridge overnight. I recommend serving with a spoon (not in bars) and coupling with whip cream topping.

thought super! used a spicecake mix patted in to pan, and baked at 350, 10 minutes,perfect for crust. went with 1 can of pumpkin puree, evaporated milk ,1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4tsp salt,1 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp ground ginger,1/4 tsp ground cloves in the filling part. done this way is really is a bar dessert not a square pumpkin pie.

I made this with gluten-free spice cake mix instead of yellow cake. It turned out very well. I would caution other bakers that it calls for 'pumpkin pie FILLING', which is not the same as canned pumpkin. If you get canned pumpkin, you will need to add sugar and milk for it to taste right. Pumpkin pie filling already has the sugar and milk in it. A single can is 3 cups, which is what this recipe calls for. I really loved the flavor but thought there was almost too much pumpkin filling- it made it difficult for them to hold together. I may try 2 cups next time and see how that works. Gluten-free baking tends to be more crumbly in general, so it's possible my bars didn't hold together well for that reason. I would definitely recommend the spice cake mix over the yellow cake mix- gives it a much more 'fall' kind of feeling.

These were a big hit at the fall party I made them for. I would have liked the crumble topping to be a bit more crispy, it was pretty soft so I might try adding more sugar to that component next time. Everyone loved them though!

These are EXCELLENT! I modified the recipe as suggested (I used a 30 oz can Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix and no extra sugar or spices, and the evaporated milk.) But the title is misleading.. .they are not really "BARS." They firmed up a little after being in the fridge overnight, but still...you kinda need a fork to eat these (or be willing to lick your fingers!) If you are looking for bars - something you can eat with your hands - this is not the recipe for you.

quick, easy, good.

My husband's favorite dessert. This always gets great compliments from company.

Great recipe. I followed another cook's suggestion using the evaporated milk and used 2- 15 oz cans of pumkin. Increase baking time. These were a very big hit at work and at home! Thank you.

The presentation was good but I thought it tasted bland. I would make again but I would add some ground cloves and pumpkin spice.

A simple recipe when you don't want to do the work of making a pumpkin pie... the struesel crust on top add something to it also... good recipe... but you can't beat a true pumpkin pie

So delicious! I had many people asking me for the recipe after making these. If you like pumpkin pie, these are great, and are a lot easier. I did have to bake them about 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe stated.

These were such a hit! I made 4 pans of these to feed over 60 people, 2 pans could go in the oven at one time. I have had multiple requests to make these again and was told that people who don't like pumpkin pie loved these!

I followed other reviewers' advice and used condensed milk in lieu of regular milk, and I included pecans in the topping. However, it took much longer than the suggested 45 - 50 minutes for it to be finished.

This was fantastic. I omitted the sugar since the cake and pie mix already had plenty. My family loved it. Will make again with a reduced sugar cake and see if anyone notices.

This was a really delicious way to use pumpkin. I used a can of plain pumpkin for the middle instead of pumpkin pie filling, and I added 1/2 a cup of splenda, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, and it turned out great. Was the streusel topping supposed to be mushy? I would have liked more crunch, so would probably add pecans next time. As other reviewers noted, it needs to be baked about 70 minutes.

Way too sweet. After the second day they were all soggy. The added sugar should have been put in the pumpkin mixture, not the topping. My family didn't like them at all and I fed it to the garbage disposal. SORRY!

I love these bars! This is the only recipe for a pumpkin dessert that I can make dairy free for my son who has a severe dairy allergy. (I use soy milk and dairy free margarine.) Thanks!

Yellow cake mix was a littlle strong. Still very tasty.

Very good. We even used a yellow cake mix that was 50% less sugar and splenda. Add some walnuts to the topping with less sugar.

Really good if you like pumpkin. I used pure pumpkin and added pumpkin pie spice and sugar to taste. I also used lemon cake mix. I will definitely add this to my regulars, even if it is made with cake mix. Yummy!

This is the exact same recipe that has been used in my family for years! It is perfect for the holidays to make a delicious pumpkin dessert in a snap. I will say that it is also a very, very rich dessert so a little goes a long way. Serve a nice square with whipped cream on top!

So good! Had a can of pumpkin pie filling, and did a recipe search to see how I might use and found this recipe. I like to make desserts from scratch, but this was part of a party menu, so I loved that it used a box cake mix and was simple to make. I added a handful of chopped walnuts to the topping. Lots of guest compliments, and no one woud guess it was so easy to make. I was worried about some of the other reviewers comments about them not setting up. Mine were fine, but I did chill them just in case. Thanks!

Oh my goodness......very dangerous. Definately a diet buster!

This was a pretty good recipe. I made the crust and topping as directed, but made a couple variations to the pumpkin layer. I used a 29 oz. can of canned pumpkin, subsituted one 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk for the milk, and added 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. of both ground cloves and nutmeg. It took about an extra 10 to 15 minutes to bake. This tastes the best when completely cooled. While I don't like this as well as actual pumpkin pie, it still tastes pretty good and is convenient to take along to a family or Church gathering.

I took this to a potluck and received good comments about it. However, I felt it was a little bland. So I made another batch and added 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 cup sugar to the pumpkin mixture. This added greatly to the taste. I liked that it was easy to make. I would make this again.

I used pumpkin pie filling- tasted great. I wish I had used the evaporated milk- the pumpkin filling seems way too soft for a bar. I may try again w/evaporated milk.

These are the best pumpkin bars I have ever made. Not gooey, not dry, just perfect. Thank you for sharing.

These definitely tasted better after staying in the fridge overnight. don't be disappointed if they don't taste wonderful right away! Let them chill, then try. Yum!

I used a butter pecan cake mix when I made this and it is awesome!!! The butter pecan really set it off. My Father loves this and so does rest of family. I make this at least one a month. Thanks!

Wow, these are really good. I used Butter Pecan cake mix, 2/3 cup Evaporated Milk and sprinkled pecans over the top before baking for an hour. Turned out perfectly!

Everyone who has tried this recipe has LOVED it. I did have to add sugar and spices to the pumpkin mixture; otherwise it was not palatable at all. I think it's best very cold but I haven't turned away a room temp piece either. I highly recommend these bars.

This recipe is a keeper. I served it Christmas Eve and everyone raved about it. It's easy to make and has a very good crust. I had to bake it about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for,but just keep on eye on it. When it stops jiggling,its done:)

I have received numerous request for this recipe. Makes a easy delicious bar.

It DOES say pumpkin pie FILLING. Very good recipe, thanks. This is my best new Thanksgiving dessert.

This is just ok, I was looking for a quick and easy version of a recipe I already have. I'll stick with my original recipe. This was a disappointment.

These were absolutely awesome! A huge hit around the house, and I can't wait to make more. I took the recommendations of the reviewers and added sugar to the mixture. About 1/2c. of sugar does the trick, and it's sweet and perfect. I didn't see any need to add pumpkin pie spice as I already had it. To me this is more of a harvest breakfast 'coffee cake' type recipe, so the spice didn't seem to fit in. But I highly recommend this recipe. I'm making some for Thanksgiving breakfast for my relatives. I'll let you know how it comes out. ;)

these were good, a synch to prepare, and present well. i used canned pumpkin and prepared according to the libby's recipe on the back of the can, adding 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and more cinnamon and fresh grated nutmeg to the filling. I didn't use the extra sugar in the topping, as cake mix is sweet enough; glad I didn't; these were plenty sweet. Did bake them for about 55 minutes and were done. Cut perfectly and didn't have the problem with consistency; they could be eaten by hand and snuck one while still warm. Maybe using the canned pumpkin instead of canned pie filling makes them more firm? nice snack dessert.

I made this today with a couple alterations. I used french vanilla cake and nutmeg in place of cinnamon, nothing to big but it turned out very good! I tried it when it was warm and thought it was OK but then tried it again when it was completely cool and it was quite delicious! basically pumpkin pie with a twist! Thanks for the recipe.

Not really a fan of this recipe. They're too mushy for my taste. I baked them for an extra 10 minutes and still didn't firm up enough. They're better after they've been in the refrigerator. It helped them set a bit.

My Fiance And My Kids Really like This Recipe, I Just Made It Tonight, I Had Some Yellow cake Mix And He Said He Was Tired Of Cake, So I Found This Recipe It Just Came Out The Oven About A Half Hour Ago And My Fiance And My Kids Want Me To make It Again.They Ate It All, I Didnt Even Get To Try It. But I Guess It Was Good, They Said It Deserves 5 Stars, But I Didnt Use All The Pumpkin Mix Felt Like It Was Way To Much, Thank You For This Lovely Recipe, I Will Make This Again.

Very good, but kinda mushy. Might have been my fault though, as I used regular canned pumpkin, so I had to mix the filling myself. Might have turned out firmed if I had used the pre-made pumpkin pie filling like the recipe states.

This is an excellent recipe. I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk as other reviewers mentioned. This could definitely replace regular pumpkin pie.

Awful! I made to take to work and they weren't good enough to take.... I followed the recipe exactly and they were awful. I am not sure what went wrong.... Very bland pumpkin mixture and the crust on top was horrible. Sorry....

Got this recipe while in college back in 1978. Over the years boxed yellow cake mix has been "improved" to be more moist with addition of "pudding in the mix", etc. This has resulted in a much wetter bottom cake layer than the recipe originally created. I am considering making the cake mix from scratch. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

These were superb after I adapted them a little. I used 1 can pumkin puree along with 3/4 c evaporated milk, 1/2 c brown sugar, and 2 1/2 T pumpkin pie spice. For the topping, which didn't crumble very well, but still turned out great, I used the cake mix, 2 T sugar, 2 T butter, and 1 t cinnamon. I also added about 2 T flour to make it a little more grainy. MY husband and I couldn't stop eating it. It's not the same as pumpkin pie, but definately rates on up there in taste.

Great taste!!! Be careful not to cover the pan or the topping after you make it because it will get too soft and not streuselly. IT was a good dessert!!!!!! Everyone loved it !

I have made this recipe for many years, the only thing I do differently is use fresh pumpkin that I cooked and froze last year. My kids and grands can't get enough of this. We haven't ate canned pumpkin in thirty years and you can really taste the difference too!

I made this recipe for a potluck and it was gone before I knew it. I liked it because it was very easy. Anything that starts with a cake mix gets bonus points from me! I used canned pumpkin pie filling. I also added nuts and raisins to the top for garnish.

These were sooooooooo tasty!! I made them with a 32 OZ can of pumpkin pie filling for a dinner party I hosted last night. My guests ate them up. Even my picky eaters loved them. My husband has to take them to work tomorrow so I don't eat them all. Thanks for a great recipe.

I love the buttery taste of this recipe! I ate too much of it.

I just made this for a family reunion and they disappeared very quickly! I also have requests to e-mail many family members the recipe.

So easy to prepare and even easier to eat! I did as others suggested and used evaporated milk, other than that I didn't make any changes. Though, I also had to bake it about 10 minutes longer. Not too pumpkiny, which was a good thing!

very good! I also used evaporated milk. I used regular pumpkin and it turned out fine. I did add a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon to the pumpkin. I used an 8 x 8 dish, alittle thick but still good!!

I made this recipe yesterday, refrigerated and took to an outdoor work related cookie bake off. I won 2nd place!!! I was so pleased with this, they are delicious. I chose to use a pineapple cake mix to add a little summer flavoring and I also used extra pumpkin pie spices. Agree with adding 10 minutes to cook time. Everyone who ate them liked the flavor and texture. Definitely something different in a sea of gooey chocolate balls.

I really didn't like these. First, they are WAY too sweet. Also, I didn't like the cake layer. I thought a shortbread like crust (or anything with a contrasting texture) would have been much better. Finally, I really didn't like the use of the cake box mix. It made it taste full of preservatives.

First time it was blah. i knew when i was making it that the pie filling needed sugar, but i followed the recipe. second time i added brown sugar and cinnamon to the pie filling and it was great

These were pretty tasty. A nice way to use up canned pumpkin. I used evaporated milk as suggested by some others. Baked for 45 minutes. I was a bit disappointed by the topping...it sorta melted into my pumpkin, but tasted good anyway.

Pumpkin pie flavor but not the right consistency for my family.

FANTASTIC recipe! I did change one thing...I used a carrot cake spice cake box instead of a yellow cake mix. I think this did the trick in giving it a spice cake flavor without having to add spices to the yellow cake mix. I didn't change anything else. (oh and I didn't measure the 3 cups pumpkin filling...just used 1 can) My husband said it's a "keeper". Will be making it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)

this was an amazing dessert! i'm not a baker at all (i fought with the wedding registry guy at bed bath and beyond for 20 minutes about not wanting to put any baking pans, etc on our wedding registry because i don't bake), and i found this so easy, simple and delicious! i followed bikeeni's suggestions and glad i did. definitely going to make this dessert for the upcoming holidays.

This was pretty easy to make. But be sure not to overbake like I did, because it ruins the whole dessert if the bottom is burnt like mine. I also used a whole can of pumpkin pie filling instead of the packed pumpkin. The taste was wonderful (except for the burned bottom). Tasted just like pumpkin pie! Thanks for the great recipe.

I didn't have a cake mix so I substituted a fat-free orange muffin mix. Same directions and it came out So moist and delicious I was shocked. Can't wait to try it on the extended family.

Used fresh pumpkin and had to load it with spices and sugar to taste well with the yellow cake mix. Good recipe. Will make it again.

this is the best recipe i have come across and everyone that i have made them for has raved about it. the only thing that i add is candied pecans to the top before i put it in the oven.

Very good, but could have used more crunch. Next time I might bake the crust a bit first, and/or add toasted pecans to the topping. A good alternative to pumpkin pie for our family Thanksgiving potluck. Got good reviews.

I've made these before with a similar recipe. Scrumptious! Does anyone know if they can be frozen? I'd like to bake now for guests for the holidays. Any tips would be appreciated! Happy Holidays!

I made these pumpkin bars. I used butter pecan cake mix because that is what I had on hand. It turned out really good. I made no changes to the recipe.

I did not care for this recipe.

These were very good. I substituted spice cake mix for the yellow cake mix, and I used evaporated milk in place of regular milk. I also added chocolate chips to give the bars mroe flavor and texture. I was hoping these wouldn't resemble pumpkin pie because my husband does not like pumpkin pie. So, he tasted one and said, "Hey ... these taste like pumpkin pie!" So, he wasn't a taker, but the rest of my guests devoured them!

Very good recipe! I didn't have a yellow cake mix, so I used a butter pecan cake mix, and added pecans to the crumble topping. I made the mistake of covering it while warm and it made the topping a little soggy.

This recipe was rich and scrumptious. I used evaporated milk and real pumpkin.I also added 1 cup sugar and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the middle layer. The mushy consistency of the middle layer was not what I expected, but nonetheless a great dessert for a pumpkin lover like myself.

this sounds really good and have not tried this yet, but i will be adding ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg n cinnamon to filling. thank you for sharing your recipe.

These were pretty good. I don't bake very often and managed not to screw these up.

These were easy to make and very tasty. Only issue is they don't save well as they get soggy. Highly reccommended for eating right away!

I replaced the milk with sweeten condensed milk. It was absolutely scrumptious. Next time, I will try not adding the sugar to the filling. I don't believe it is needed when the sweetened condensed milk is used.

I have been making these bars for over 20 years. They started out as just a Holiday treat but now I make them more often. My children (although they are all grown) still call me for my for the recipe,or to ask me to make them a batch. As a matter of fact,I'm making one right now. I too use carnation evapotated milk instead of regular milk. It makes the dessert taste richer. I also add cinnamon,ginger nutmeg and cloves. I double the amount 0f topping (it's my favorite part.) This is one of the best ways of breaking the same old routine of just plain cake It's one of the family favorites.

Excellent bars! I used evaporated milk instead of regular. I did have to cook for about an hour until my knife came out clean. Must serve cold in my opinion.

I made the substitutions suggested by Beekini. I also tripled the recipe for everything except the pumpkin mixture, which I doubled. It turned out great! I will be making this again!

Even better the next day. Refrigerates well, also. I don't care to bake, but this is the one recipe I look to forward to making every fall.

Greate but I messed up the crumble not relizing we are not suposed to put all the butter in at once

very good

I've made this twice now and everyone seems to love it (there's never any left...). I used plain pumpkin that I baked and strained myself adding 1/4 t. cloves, 1/2 t ginger and 1t cinnamon to make it "pie filling". I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk and used a 15.25 oz cake mix because that is all I could find at any of the stores. That really didn't make a big difference because the extra 3 oz. goes in the base layer which was fine without it. I was a bit disappointed in the "streusel". It did not turn out crumbly like a streusel should; rather it kind of melted into a semi-hard almost shell sort of topping (more like the shell on a creme brulee). Not what I envisioned but good none the less.

I used evaporated milk, added some spice. Instead of the 28oz caan of pumpkin, next time I would use 2 15 oz cans and omit the sugar. My guests all loved this dessert.

great alternative to pumpkin pie. Not near the work as pies are.

Followed the recipe but added more pumpkin!

Brought this to a party & people loved it - even those like me who are not generally pumpkin pie fans. I almost wrecked it by using a big can of pumpkin, rather than pumpkin pie filling, so watch out for that. But I just added the other ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, cloves etc) that you would need if you were making pie. All good! I will be making this again.