Best Pumpkin Bar Recipes: UK Pumpkin Traybakes

Pumpkin bars are a simple autumn traybake made by stirring pumpkin puree, warming spices and a few pantry staples together, then baking in a lined tin until just set.

They need no piping, layering or fancy equipment, just a bowl, a spoon and about an hour of your time. This guide covers three UK-friendly pumpkin bar recipes: a cake mix traybake with a streusel top, a wholesome granola bar and a rich, gooey cheesecake style version.

Every ingredient below is given in UK metric measures and familiar UK terms, so there is no guessing with US cups or unfamiliar products.

Handy Tips and Tricks

It’s important to know the difference between pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree. Pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced, while puree is just 100% pumpkin with nothing added.

Pumpkin pie filling can be hard to find in UK shops, so most of the recipes below use puree instead. Add extra cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or allspice if you love a spicier bake.

Always let pumpkin bars cool completely before you try to cut them. Your kitchen will smell incredible while they bake, but resist the temptation to cut in too soon.

Cooling first makes it much easier to cut clean, neat bars. Press straight down with a sharp knife rather than sawing back and forth.

As long as you use good quality ingredients and put plenty of care into your homemade bars, they are sure to turn out great.

Fresh Pumpkin vs. Tinned Pumpkin

You might wonder what kind of pumpkin to use in bars. Since it will be combined with plenty of other ingredients, tinned pumpkin puree is the quicker, easier option.

If you would rather make your own, chop the flesh and roast it at 200C (180C fan) for about 50 minutes, or until tender, then blend it in a food processor.

Jack-o-lantern-style carving pumpkins are fun to carve, but their flesh is often watery and stringy. For baking, it helps to understand the difference between carving pumpkins and eating pumpkins, and to pick a smaller, denser variety suited to cooking.

Not sure what to look for at the farm or shop? Our guide on how to pick the perfect pumpkin covers exactly what to check before you buy.

How to Store Homemade Pumpkin Bars

Homemade pumpkin bars are fine in an airtight container at room temperature overnight. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge, where they will last up to a week.

You can also freeze the bars. If you do, cut them into portions first, so you only need to thaw as many as you want at a time.

Easy Pumpkin Bar Recipe: Cake Mix Version

Using a boxed cake mix is one of the simplest ways to make easy pumpkin bars. You can use a yellow or white cake mix for this recipe. Use whole milk or a non-dairy kind such as oat or almond milk, if preferred.

The finished bars taste just like pumpkin pie, and the streusel topping adds a special touch. This recipe makes 24 regular bars, or 12 jumbo ones.

Ingredients:

• 1 box (about 510g) yellow cake mix
• 50g caster sugar
• 115g butter, melted
• 55g cold butter
• 160ml milk
• 3 medium eggs
• 735g pumpkin pie filling (or pumpkin puree)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and grease a 33 x 23cm baking tin.
2. Put about 120g of the cake mix in a bowl.
3. Stir the remaining cake mix with 1 egg and the melted butter.
4. Press this mixture into the baking tin.
5. Next, combine the pumpkin pie filling with the remaining eggs and milk.
6. Pour this over the crust in the tin.
7. Now mix the cinnamon and sugar into the reserved cake mix.
8. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or knife until you get a coarse crumb.
9. Sprinkle this streusel mixture over the pumpkin filling.
10. Bake the pumpkin bars for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
11. Let the mixture cool completely before cutting into individual bars.

Crunchy Pumpkin Granola Bars

Combine the crunchy appeal of granola with the soft sweetness of pumpkin, and you have the makings of a great breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert. These bars are versatile, so you can grab one any time.

If you love a good pumpkin snack, our pumpkin cookies recipes are worth trying too.

Choose quick oats for a softer texture, or rolled or steel-cut oats for extra chew. You can have fun with this recipe, swapping the dried fruit below for chopped pecans or walnuts instead of the pumpkin seeds.

If you use sweetened desiccated coconut, you may need to cut back on the honey slightly.

This recipe makes 16 pumpkin granola bars.

Ingredients:

• 225g rolled oats
• 40g plain flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 120ml honey (or 60ml each honey and treacle)
• 150g chopped dried fruit (eg: dates, apricots, raisins)
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Pinch each of nutmeg and cloves
• 65g pumpkin seeds
• 90g desiccated coconut
• 90g dark or white chocolate chips
• 185g pumpkin puree
• ¼ tsp salt
• 55g butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. First, preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and use baking parchment to line a 33 x 23cm baking tin.
2. Mix the oats, flour, coconut, spices, salt, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips in a bowl.
3. Mix the honey, butter and vanilla with the pumpkin puree in another bowl (this is easier with an electric mixer).
4. Now stir both mixtures together and press into the prepared tin.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars is golden and no longer moist.
6. Let the mixture cool, then cut into squares.

Pumpkin Gooey Bars

Pumpkin granola bars are all well and good, not to mention healthy, but sometimes you just want something soft, sweet and decadent.

These pumpkin gooey bars make a brilliant dessert, basically a cross between a blondie and a baked cheesecake. If you love that combination, you will probably also enjoy our pumpkin cheesecake recipes.

They are popular with trick-or-treaters too, so it might be worth making a double batch. Do not worry if the middle does not seem fully set. They are meant to stay gooey inside, hence the name.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 250g plain flour
• 2/3 tsp salt
• 150g caster sugar
• 115g butter, melted
• 1 medium egg
• 2 tsp baking powder

For the Filling:

• 225g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 420g pumpkin puree
• 115g butter, melted
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Grease a 33 x 23cm glass baking dish and preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Mix in the butter and egg with an electric mixer.
4. Press this mixture into the dish and about 2.5cm up the sides.
5. Beat the pumpkin puree with the cream cheese.
6. Mix in the eggs, butter and vanilla.
7. Now add the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
8. Spread this filling over the crust and bake for exactly 1 hour.
9. Let the pumpkin gooey bars cool completely, then refrigerate for an hour before cutting into 16 squares.

A Final Word

So, which of the above pumpkin bar recipes will you make first, or are you spoilt for choice? One thing is certain: your pumpkin bars will disappear fast.

If bars are not quite your thing, our pumpkin bread recipes are also worth a try.

Happy Halloween and happy eating!