Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars
I hope there’s not an expiration period on posting pumpkin recipes like wearing white pants after Labor Day, because I’m continuing to crank out all things pumpkin spice until the clock strikes midnight and we all turn into pumpkins. These Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars are an adaptation of one of my all-time favorite recipes, incorporating the cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin trifeca of fall into these ooey-gooey seven layer bars bursting with so many flavors you won’t even know what hit your flannel shirt, LL Bean boot-wearing, ripped jean, foliage loving Fall self. So jam packed with pumpkiny goodness you literally can’t even.
I remember growing up when my mom, Grandma and uncles would bake up a bazillion recipes with multiple mixers going around the holidays that my favorite dessert was the Magic Cookie Bars that my uncle would make. Probably because I could pick some of the crunchy coconut, walnut and butterscotch chip toppings off of the finished product without anyone noticing. Something about graham cracker crusts just scream holiday-time in my mind, starting with Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie. The thing about pie though, it requires that crucial ingredient called patience, which I just don’t have any of. Ever. So these Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars at the next best thing, because they are super easy, made in one dish, and no real rhyme or reason as to how you have to layer the ingredients. Plus they are an easy hand-held treat that can be enjoyed chilled or warmed up for some ooey gooey melty goodness.
These are also a great dessert if you need something to make a day or two in advance because they are easiest to cut when chilled and stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. And let’s be real … with the holidays coming up, couldn’t we all use some things to make our lives easier? I even shipped these down to my friends Scott and Sarah in North Carolina who put them in the freezer for a week before enjoying them with friends at their daughter Molly’s first birthday, which they said were a big hit.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pice spice
- 1 can condensed milk (caramel flavored)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a glass 13×9 baking dish with parchment and spray with non-stick spray. The parchment will make a big difference in getting the bars out of the dish later on in one piece.
Step 1: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin spice and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 2: Combine the sweetened condensed milk with the pumpkin puree and spread evenly over the crust. For this recipe I used the Dulce de Leche flavor by Eagle Brand, but regular sweetened condensed milk will also work just fine.
Step 3: Layer evenly with the chocolate chips, coconut, butterscotch chips and pecans. Press down firmly before baking.
Step 4: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the top is lightly browned. Let them cool for at least a half an hour before cutting.
Serve warm or enjoy chilled!
Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars
Yield: 2 dozen bars
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 40 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pice spice
- 1 can condensed milk (caramel flavored)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a glass 13x9 baking dish with parchment and spray with non-stick spray. The parchment will make a big difference in getting the bars out of the dish later on in one piece.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, pumpkin spice and melted butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk with the pumpkin puree and spread evenly over the crust. For this recipe I used the Dulce de Leche flavor by Eagle Brand, but regular sweetened condensed milk will also work just fine.
- Layer evenly with the chocolate chips, coconut, butterscotch chips and walnuts. Press down firmly before baking.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees until the top is lightly browned. Let them cool for at least a half an hour before cutting. Serve warm or enjoy chilled!
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This is so beautiful – I ache because I cannot taste one!
This kitchen smells Sooooo good. What a terrific take on a chewy and crunchy all time favorite. My husband is going to take them to work to ease spirits at a budget meeting tomorrow, and I know they’ll do the trick. The consistency and depth of the bars are as expected and the added pumpkin spice in the crust must be why they smell so Fallish.