Fudgy and chewy pumpkin spiced cookie bars are dappled with toasted pecans in this fall dessert! This recipe has the fudgy almost-underdone texture of really good cookies combined with the ease of bars.
I recently wanted to make my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe but I didn't feel like scooping out individual cookies. I took that recipe, adjusted it slightly, added toasted pecans, and these Pumpkin Pecan Cookie Bars were born!
This is a great fall dessert for the people who need instant gratification when it comes to baking. The butter is melted instead of softened, no chilling is needed, and everything bakes together in one 7x11-inch baking dish!
I consider this a great option for Thanksgiving too, because it marries the best dessert flavors of the season: pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon! nutmeg! cloves!) and toasted pecans.
Recipe at a glance
- Fudgy cookie bars dappled with pumpkin pie spices, pecans, and pumpkin puree!
- Makes 12 cookie squares
- The butter is melted, so no forethought is required to make these cookie bars
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: A classic in baking with pumpkin, this recipe uses just ⅓ cup. Use up leftover puree in baked oatmeal, pumpkin pie dip, or a smoothie.
- Egg yolk: Because pumpkin adds moisture and I wanted these to be chewy bars, we're just adding the egg yolk. This keeps the bars from becoming cake-like.
- Melted butter: Lazy bakers, rejoice! Melt 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) of butter on the stove. But don't clean the skillet after melting, because...
- Pecans: These are toasted up in the buttery skillet. Yum!
- Pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and cinnamon, the perfect combination to make a warm and cozy cookie!
Cassidy's tips
- I tested this recipe in a 7x11-inch glass baking dish. It takes 25-30 minutes, depending on how fudgy you want the cookies to be. I personally prefer an underbaked cookie, so I go for 25 minutes.
- If you don't have a 7x11-inch dish, a 9x9-inch one should work instead.
- Not a fan of pecans? They can be omitted or replaced with chocolate chips. Or use both!
- Can I make cookies out this recipe? Because these bars are adapted from a cookie recipe, I don't see why not! Use a 1-ounce scoop (2 tablespoons) and bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes. It will make flat, chewy cookies.
More fall baking
Recipe
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Pecan Pumpkin Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 7x11-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 1 ½ sticks butter
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teapsoon ground ginger
- ½ teapsoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a greased 7x11-inch casserole dish with parchment paper.
- Start by melting the butter in a skillet or sauce pot. Slice the butter then add it to a medium pot over medium heat, stirring as needed. Once melted, remove from heat and pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl.
- To the same skillet add the pecans. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are deepened in color and smell toasted. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl with the (now slightly cooled) melted butter, stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin puree. Stir until well combined. Whisk in the egg yolk, stirring continuously until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice. Add half of this to the wet ingredients, stirring until well combined. Stir in the remaining flour mixture.
- Fold in the toasted pecans. Transfer the cookie dough to the 7x11-inch baking dish, spreading into an even layer.
- Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and pulling away from the baking dish. Check the center with a knife or toothpick. Aim for more underbaked than overbaked, as they'll bake a bit more after removing from the oven. The toothpick should be mostly clean.
- Let the bars cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pan size: This recipe also works in a 9x9-inch baking dish.
- Parchment paper is optional but makes it easier to lift the bars out of the baking dish.
- Chocolate chips can be used in place of (or addition to) the pecans.
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