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These easy pumpkin pie bars with a cake mix are moist and easy to grab and go! They’re a quick Thanksgiving dessert that even kids will love!

I’ve made plenty of cake mix bars over the years, so wanted to try my hand at a pumpkin version. Which is a little strange since I’m not a huge pumpkin lover. But I do love my pumpkin cream cheese scones and pumpkin cupcakes, so there’s always hope!

It kind of cracks me up how I buy cake mixes and very, very rarely actually use them for a cake! This recipe is no exception. The cake mix gives you a nice base since this is a no-crust pumpkin pie bar. It’s also used for the crumb topping that gets sprinkled on top.

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Bars with Cake Mix

These bars have a filling that’s similar to a standard pumpkin pie. It’s creamy and smooth and pairs perfectly with the crumb topping. Bonus points because this recipe has less than 10 ingredients and serves a crowd! It’s a great dessert to make ahead of time too so you’re not scrambling at the last minute before guests arrive. 

As with a traditional pumpkin pie recipe, you can use some of the spices suggested or leave them out entirely. Using the spices gives you a more cinnamon, “warm” flavor whereas leaving them out gives you a sweeter dessert. But it really is personal preference so don’t feel like you’re tied to them.

You can also serve the bars warm or cold. If you choose to serve them warm, just let them cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving from the pan. We preferred to eat ours at room temperature with a little bit of whipped cream. You do not need to keep the bars refrigerated after you make them.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Bars?

I did try freezing a couple bars to see how they would hold up. You should see my freezer. At any given time, it’s filled with baggies that have one or two of each thing just so that I can test them for you guys! 

I would say these pumpkin crumb bars were a pretty solid freezer success story! The tops were a little moist and sticky after they thawed, but they tasted the same and held their shape well. So if you don’t mind the tops being a little damp, feel free to freeze some to spread them out!

Other Cake Mix Desserts to Try:

Chocolate Chip Cake Bars

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix Bars

Other Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Try:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Scones

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cranberry Buttercream

Yield: 24

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Print

These easy pumpkin pie bars are made with cake mix and come together quickly! A perfect fall dessert!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted and cooled
• 3 eggs
• 16 ounce Canned Pumpkin
• 2/3 cup Evaporated Milk, (1 5 oz. can)
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
• 1.5 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, optional
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Butter, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter and one egg. Beat together until well combined. Set aside one cup of the mixture.
3. Spread the remaining mix into the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Press into an even layer and then set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the crust in the pan.
5. Take the reserved 1 cup of cake mixture and add the sugar and 2 tbsp of softened butter. Combine well and then dot over the pumpkin mixture.
6. Bake in preheated over for 45-50 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near center tests clean. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g