Fall Baking
As much as I love summer, I must admit that I do love to indulge in fall baking. I love all the warm spices and golden brown shades of caramelization. And yes, I am a sucker for all the pumpkin spice flavored desserts. These Pumpkin Crumb Bars have been one of my favorite fall creations lately because it captures the essence of fall with every layer inside it. We have a brown butter pumpkin blondie base stuffed with golden Oreos and finished with a crumble topping. With each bite you take, you’re hit with the warm, cozy spices and the delicious textures of each layer.
50 Shades of Brown
First we’ll start by making the crumble topping. Combine the butter and vanilla extract together until creamy. Mix in the remaining ingredients with a fork until you get a crumbly mixture. Start using your hands to squeeze the dough together then let it crumble apart. Do this a few times until the butter and dry ingredients are well combined. Set it aside in the fridge.
Then preheat the oven to 350℉. Coat an 8×8 inch pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Add the butter into a pan and allow it to melt over medium heat. Continue to stir and cook the melted butter until it develops a golden brown color, about 5-8 minutes. Brown butter is a must for fall baking because it adds a nutty and caramelized flavor profile to any dessert!
In the meantime, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, kosher salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Mix with a whisk until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the browned butter into a large bowl along with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined. Then mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is evenly combined. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out into an even layer. Add the Oreos onto the batter in a single layer, slightly push them into the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over top until fully covered. Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. When a toothpick is inserted into the center, it should come out clean. Allow it to cool completely before cutting it into squares and serving.
Customize It Yourself
Another reason why I love these Pumpkin Crumb Bars, other than the fact that they look and taste amazing, is that they’re also customizable. When I initially tested this recipe, I actually used Oreos’ seasonal apple pie flavor. It ended up tasting like a delicious combination of an apple pie and pumpkin pie. This recipe would also be great with the standard chocolate Oreo, golden Oreos, or even pumpkin pie Oreos! You can really choose which ever flavor sounds good to you in the moment and it’s bound to taste delicious. When the bar is completely cooled, it develops the perfect texture combination of a fudgy brownie and fluffy cake. Then the crumble topping adds the perfect amount of crunch to it. So play around with some flavors this fall and see what you can make from these Pumpkin Crumb Bars!
Pumpkin Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Crumble Topping:
- 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
- ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- ⅛ tsp Cinnamon
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- 10 tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter (cut into cubes)
- 1½ cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Pumpkin Puree
- 12 Golden Oreos (can use your preferred Oreo flavor)
Instructions
For the Crumble Topping:
- Combine the butter and vanilla extract together until creamy. Mix in the remaining ingredients with a fork until you get a crumbly mixture. Start using your hands to squeeze the dough together then let it crumble apart. Do this a few times until the butter and dry ingredients are well combined. Set it aside in the fridge.
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Add the butter into a pan and allow it to melt over medium heat. Continue to stir and cook the melted butter until it develops a golden brown color, about 5-8 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, kosher salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Mix with a whisk until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the browned butter into a large bowl along with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined. Then mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is evenly combined. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out into an even layer. Add the Oreos onto the batter in a single layer, slightly push them into the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over top until fully covered.
- Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes. When a toothpick is inserted into the center, it should come out clean. Allow it to cool completely before cutting it into squares and serving.
