Pumpkin Pie bars are a simplified version of pumpkin pie. They are easier to make, require less time, and you can eat them with your hands. I mean, there’s no stopping you from eating a slice of pumpkin pie with your hands, but it just feels more appropriate if the pie is cut into cute little squares.
Pumpkin pie bars are easier and require less time than traditional pumpkin pie because you don’t have to make a crust. There is no rolling or chilling the dough, just a simple step of combining sugar, flour, and butter and then pressing it into a 8 x 8 baking pan. After that, you want to mix the filling and then pour it on top of the crust, place it into the oven and watch it bake.
While the pie is baking, you can prepare the Swiss meringue, which is pretty straight forward and relatively simple. See the recipe below. And then, once the pumpkin pie bars are finished cooking, you can pipe the meringue on top and then dust off the kitchen torch that has been sitting at the back of the baking cupboard since last Thanksgiving and perform the most satisfying cooking task ever, toasting the meringue.
These pumpkin pie bars are soft and tender, perfectly pumpkin-spiced, and so fun to make. I love experimenting with different meringue shapes and then watching it turn a beautiful toffee brown under the flame of the torch!
Pumpkin Pie Squares with Toasted Swiss Meringue
makes 16 squares
prep time - 15 minutes
cooking time - 60 minutes
PUMPKIN PIE BAR INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of cloves
2 large eggs
1 - 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 - 12 oz can of evaporated milk
MERINGUE INGREDIENTS
4 egg whites
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. You want the parchment paper hanging off the sides of the pan so you can easily lift up the bars and remove them from the pan once they are baked.
In a medium bowl combine the flour and sugar. Add the cold butter and combine with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Press the mixture flat into the pan with a spatula.
In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup of sugar, spices, salt, eggs, pumpkin, and evaporated milk. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pan, on top of the flour mixture. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue to bake for an additional 50 minutes.
While the bars are baking, prepare the meringue.
Add the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla to a small-medium bowl. Fill a small saucepan with water 1 -2 inches high. Heat the water until simmering. Place the bowl with the eggs whites, sugar, and vanilla over the simmering water and stir constantly with a flexible spatula until the sugar mixture has reached 175ºF.
Remove the mixture from the stove and add to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until fluffy and thick and the meringue can hold stiff peaks.
Once the pumpkin bars are cooked remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly. Grab the parchment paper that is hanging over the side of the pan and lift the bars out.
Cut the bars into 16 squares.
Scoop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a #2A or #1A round attachment. Pipe a decorated design on the squares and then using a kitchen torch, toasted until a caramel brown color.
Squares can be stored in the fridge for a week.
