Description
These Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bars are a perfect fall treat featuring moist pumpkin-flavored cake bars topped with a sweet maple glaze, combining warm spices and rich maple syrup for a cozy dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Maple syrup (enough to mix until smooth, approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the pumpkin bars evenly.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make removal easier.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted unsalted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can make the bars tough.
- Bake the Bars: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Prepare Maple Glaze: While the bars are baking, mix the powdered sugar with enough maple syrup to create a smooth glaze consistency, stirring well.
- Glaze and Serve: After the pumpkin bars have cooled completely, drizzle the maple glaze evenly over the top. Slice into bars and serve.
Notes
- Ensure the bars are fully cooled before applying the glaze to prevent it from melting and becoming runny.
- You can use homemade pumpkin puree or canned; just make sure it is plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- For a thicker glaze, use less maple syrup; for a thinner glaze, add more gradually.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
