These Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars cookie bars are the perfect Fall dessert – moist and chewy, made lighter with pumpkin puree and studded with butterscotch chips. The topping is a simple, light cream cheese frosting drizzled with chocolate – so good!
Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars
Pumpkin Butterscotch BarsI love pumpkin in desserts in the fall. Some more of my favorites are Skinny Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice No-Bake Cheesecake and Pumpkin Hazelnut White Chocolate Biscotti.
If you’re a fan of Fall flavored treats, these butterscotch bars are a great way to satisfy that craving. Think pumpkin blondies. It’s perfect for any Autumn equinox occasion, Halloween or Thanksgiving Day dessert.
For this recipe, I played around with my Skinny Cranberry Bliss Bars looking for an Autumn twist. I absolutely loved how they turned out. They have just the right amount of pumpkin spice for my taste, but if you really love those spices you could add a bit more. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can bake the cookie bar a day in advance and along with the frosting. Then assemble the day you’re ready to serve them.
More Pumpkin Desserts:
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese
- Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Pecan Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Pie Dip
Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, Gold Medal
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup butterscotch chips
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon and stir to blend.
- In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, pumpkin and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out.
- Fold in butterscotch chips.
- Spread batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.
- Bake 14-16 minutes, until the edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over-bake or your bars will be dry.
- Let it cool completely on wire rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended.
- Frost bars and drizzle with the melted chocolate. *To melt the chocolate, place in a microwave safe cup and heat 15 seconds; stir. Another 15 seconds; stir until the chocolate is melted.
- When the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife).
- Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
these bars are to die for delicious! Thank you!
These are amazing! I used gluten-free flour and unfortunately nut-free butterscotch chips are hard to find, so I substituted white chocolate instead. The batter was very sticky so I buttered my hands to flatten/smooth it out in the pan.
I tried and failed to “drizzle” the chocolate into the cream cheese artfully, so ended up mixing it with a butter knife. It still looked great and tasted delicious!
Glad you liked them!
We made them tonight for thanksgiving. Simply put, they blow pumpkin pie out of the water. Total winner.
Awesome!
these were delicious! I made them with GF nameste flour and swerve sugar substitute to bring the smart points down to 6 per piece and they were awesome!
We are big Skinnytaste fans (love the new cookbook). This was not a favorite recipe. I have to say I had to alter the recipe. I didn’t have butterscotch chips so I substituted 1/3 cup craisins. That may have been the problem but it was really sweet. If you have any other suggestions Gins I would appreciate it . My guests said they enjoyed it.
Its possible, or use less sugar next time
Not a butterscotch fan but love this idea…do you think toffee would be a good substitute?
Thanks!
Can these be made as a rolled cookie instead? Thinking of an upcoming bake sale where these could be packaged as a sandwich cookie with icing between…
These r delicious! Who would think they r skinny ☺
Gina or anyone else, have you tried this recipe adding oatmeal? I’ve made a pumpkin oatmeal scotchie (cookie) but am really wanting to make a bar cookie. I love oatmeal in my cookies, so was wondering if that would work. Thanks!
I loved your cranberry bars and my kids loved them too. Even better than thw ones from Starbucks. Can’t wait to try these .
These bars turned out great! The cream cheese frosting was a great touch. I was tempted to leave out the chocolate drizzle out of laziness but so glad I didn’t.! So many flavours in one bite!
I made these for the second time last night. The first batch I made with 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour and they were amazing. Last night I used 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup SunFlour and they were even better. Also, I used dark brown sugar both times.
Also, I LOVE the cookbook. My new favorite recipe is the open face buffalo chicken sandwich. Thank you for helping me keep my family health.
Made these this wknd & both batches were YUMMY! Forgot to add the butterscotch chips in the 1st batch… ugh! They were still delicious w/o them, but really wanted to try them w/ the chips so I made them again yest. The chips def take them to a whole 'nother level! So good! (I saw some of the commenters suggested cinnamon chips, which sound really good, too. It also occured to me that white choc chips might good in these…)
These are in the oven as I type this! Can't wait until they are done! I am picking up your book tomorrow and can't wait, I love all of your recipes!
These look fabulous. Perfect for an upcoming fall get together.
xx,
Elizabeth
www.adrian-james.com
I just made this again today this time without the melted butter. I used double the pumpkin, 1/4 cup as stated in recipe and 1/4 cup to replace the melted butter. It turned out very nicely a touch more cakey but still very good.
I also melted the butterscotch chips to marble them in. Stick with the chips it was ok but not as good as I had hoped. Anyway that is my double take on this wonderful recipe.
Gina how good is this recipe for my family and I. Well it made it into my hand written collection of recipe book. I have an aunt, in her late 70's, whom the Dr told her she had to gain 20 lbs, visiting with my mom I told her before she goes home I will make her a batch using full fat cream cheese and butter to take back home with her. She actually will eat this and she is not a sweet eater.
what is the calorie count without icing?
Thanks I did not see the chocolate instructions or didn't remember it at the time I posted how to melt the chocolate to the other lady's post. My biggest things in letter her know is that it looks like a complicated application but it is not. I have taken desserts to pot luck dinners with the chocolate drizzle to have different ones to comment on how an intricate decoration procedures it must have taken to get the drizzle look. I am like, No, that was the easiest part of the whole dish. So trying to waylay any appreciations she or any others that find this dish may have on drizzling chocolate. Like I often say anything can look difficult until you learn it yourself.
I did cut into 15 large, middle and small squares before cutting triangles I am just bad at sight measuring.
I think the next time, and there will be a next time, I will melt the butterscotch and sort of marble it through the dough/batter. Like zip, zip with the beater at the end. My chips pulled away and set in little craves in the melting and cooling process. I didn't care for that to much and serving it to much older family members. I think I will try doing that and see if I get a better result. But we all love it.
Thanks for the goodness of baking, losing weight and guilt free eating, Gina
Donna, See fifth line of Directions above, also last direction for "When the chocolate sets…".
Gina, I love and regularly use your recipes. My sister (who works 6 days a week and has a husband who is late end-stage cancer) uses the ones I send her for crock pot cooking, and LOVES your cranberry bars, so I will send her this as well. She hasn't the time to look at blogs, but this has worked for us (we live 400 miles apart). THANKS for helping to make life a little easier and absolutely better & sweeter!
Anyone have any tips on how to cut in uniform size. I got 30 pieces but I have big, medium and small. That is one thing I have never been able to come close to doing in all my years of baking. Like when making truffles or something that is formed individual,y unlike the bars here, I will go to the added troubled step of weighing out the pieces then shaping them. Ugh I would love to be better at cutting uniform pieces. So any tips would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Yum! looks really decadent!
Hello I have a pan of these cooling now and will frost tomorrow. (almost bed time now)
What I am wondering is could I omit the butter altogether and just double the pumpkin and get the same results. If not have a quick reply as to why? I know baking is more a science then culinary cooking. I did use light butter in this recipe. So far it looks good. Thanks.
I made these today and they are fantastic! I made a couple of changes – used a whole egg instead of 2 egg whites; I didn't have butterscotch chips, so I used cinnamon chips, and instead of drizzling the top with chocolate, I drizzled with caramel sauce. Tonight for supper I made the cover recipe from your cookbook! Also fantastic!
You should be able to buy Pumpkin Pie Spice in your baking aisle where all the jarred spices are. If not, I think a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamon would work if you have all of those on hand. You could make your own pumpkin pie spice.
Wha exactly is pumpkin pie spice? We live in Oceanside & I have searched stop & shop like crazy. Are you referring to the jello packet? Help me, we love your cook book!!! Very proud of you, o-side represent. Lol
Its very common and should be in the spices section of your supermarket labeled as "pumpkin spice"… Stop and shop carries McCormick brand, should not be hard to find.. hope that helps
Trader Joe's/ Sprouts/ Henry's market/ Whole Foods – you'll find it in one of these for sure. I live in San Diego and I got it from Henry's Market bulk section.
Have not learned to melt chocolate yet. A disaster. The rest of recipe looks good.
To melt your chocolate use a very clean and dry, very dry bowl, glass is best, pop the bowl of chocolate in the microwave, for this small amount start at, 10 second stir with a dry spoon. The chocolate will hold it's shape until you stir it. If it still has bits and pieces microwave another 10 seconds then restir using the same spoon as the first time, if you resisted licking the spoon other wise get that new spoon(lol), and it should be smooth. As for drizzle the thing I do is dip the ends of a fork into the chocolate and let it drip off the end onto the topping in a swirl, back and forth or what ever pattern your imagination suites your fancy with it. It looks difficult but is fairly easy and once you do it a time or two you will be saying easy peasy too. Hope this helps.
Oh water will make it seize up (clump up) that is why I say very dry bowl.
Now that I am refreshed and more awake I need to make a correction. The microwave timing I used was 20 seconds stir with a fork, 20 seconds more stir, and the 20 seconds more to get it loose enough to drip or blob off the end of the fork. You will get blobs and strings of chocolate which is fine. I just finished making mine and ate my first piece. Yummy!
Thanks Gina, these look amazing! How do you get the drizzle to look so good? Did you use a piping bag?
Just got my Book it's beautiful thanks for all your hard work. I bought two of them one for me and one for my daughter.
Bunny
I just got my book and had to come on and tell you how happy I am to see such a geniune and loving mother achieve such an amazing accomplishment. I'm practically in tears as I flip through the pages of your beautiful book. Way to go! With love, Jacqueline Young
That was sweet
If I can't find pumpkin puree, will the canned stuff work?
The canned stuff is pumpkin puree. Just remember there are two kinds of canned stuff. One is just pumpkin (I used Libby's and it said 100% pure above the word Pumpkin) the other is a pie mix with all the spices in it. 🙂
These bars are delicious! I'm happy to report I just received my Skinnytaste Cookbook from Amazon! Grand Slam!! The book is gorgeous and the intro is a nice peek into how genuine and real you have always seemed. Holy Cow, this book is loaded with great tips, pretty pics and very appealing recipes. Thanks for the timely debut.. perfect for the change in seasons. Best of luck and thank you!
These look so good. Thanks for sharing!
http://whatmaisiedid.blogspot.co.uk/
I think I will try them with cinnamon chips!
I just received notice from the post office that YOUR NEW BOOK has been delivered !!!!!!!!. I can't wait to get home tonite to read it.
Something new and delicious for dinner tomorrow.
I am starting back to WW on Saturday – with your new book on my kitchen table!!!
Thank you Gina!!!
These look so delicious, perfect for a pot luck!
Pinning! Haha, Oh I love how thick it looks. Yum! Thanks for sharing & happy Tuesday!
I absolutely love the cranberry bliss bars–just said I need to make them again-but they are so addictive! I also love anything pumpkin so I know that these will be awesome as well. I have a question about this recipe–is this batter as stiff as the bliss bar batter? I have to make that in the food processor and just wanted to know what to expect before I get started! Thanks so much for all the great recipes–I have made quite a few and we've enjoyed them all.
Made these last night fo an impromptu dinner with friends, everyone loved them. Sent the remainder with my husband this morning to work, awaiting their feedback now. 😉
– And Gina, you were right, they need to be smoothe down, I failed at this and had a few uneven bars at the end of, though they tasted just as delicious, lol will definitely be making these again in the near future!
I saw this recipe yesterday and knew I just had to try it. I went to the store to pick up the ingredients that I knew I didn't have on hand at home and rushed home to make these. Only then did I discover that I only had 1/4 cup of granulated sugar! Instead of going back to the store, I decided to wing it and just put the reduced amount of sugar in it. Even though I had cut the sugar, it was still sweet, delicious, chewy and moist. I am a huge pumpkin fan, so I must admit that I added an additional tablespoon of pumpkin puree and a 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to my frosting (which was also fantastic)! I just brought some into work this morning to share, and everyone has loved them so far. Thanks for this recipe!!!
These look good.would they freeze well?
I love you for making these! I love dessert and am always looking for new healthy options. Butterscotch + pumpkin sounds divine.
Wow – these are a work of art. Love that chocolate drizzle on top!
I made these today, YUMMM! I'm not a fan of cream cheese frosting so I left that off and just did the chocolate drizzle. I think these would be even better with chocolate chips!
These look awesome, Gina! 🙂
I am going to try to make these. I am not a good baker, so wish me luck! I love anything with brown sugar and of course pumpkin!
These were really easy to make! Good Luck
The photo stopped me in my tracks! I love your Cranberry Bliss Bars – so I'm definitely making these! YUM! 😀
Oh, yum. Hard to believe but I've never made pumpkin baked goods, will have to give this a try!
Is there any way of cutting this recipe in half? My boyfriend isn't a fan of pumpkin, but I think a whole 9 X 13 pan of these would be too much for just me! Can I use a 9 X 9 pan?
It might!
Freeze the portions you don't eat.
Is the brown sugar light or dark? Alsoare these cooked on a cookie sheet? Thanks! Nicole
I used light, it's cooked on a sheet pan.
I just made the base to these and followed everything to a T. Unless my oven is suddenly super off, they took nearly double the time to bake. But they look good so far! Thanks Gina for all your hard work.
If you bake them too long they won't be chewy and soft. But who knows, all ovens are different.
My mouth is literally watering just looking at the picture. I'm craving something sweet, preferably this! I just saw Butterscotch and I was taken!
Kate x
www.vanillainnovember.blogspot.co.uk
Wow these look insanely good! Also love seeing the nutritional info, thank you!!
These look sooo good! I'm gonna try these out!
www.mylifewithaaron.blogspot.com
Are the calories for one bar or one triangle?
One triangle – it says the recipe makes 30 servings.
These look good! Thinking of making them without the frosting…do you think they'd be sweet enough that way?..
Yes
I'm not a fan of cream cheese frosting so I plan on making these with just the chocolate drizzle.
These look soooo sooo good and I love the nutritionals on these!
I think you mean Gold Medal.
my bad yes
Can you use a different type of flour, Whole wheat? or will they be to dry?
I'm not sure about these specifically, but a lot of times I'll use half whole wheat/half regular flour while baking. Wheat flour is really fine – it's like sand almost so the texture might be a bit different, but everything I've made so far was ok!
I tried whole wheat and it changed the taste, wasn't good. You may like it though!
Looks fantastic. I'm dying to know the color of your nail polish, I LOVE it!
Same!
Essie Smokin Hot!! : )
These are incredibly good
The cranberry bars were awesome. I'm going to try these also! 😀
I haven't managed to make the cranberry ones yet – that recipe was how I found your blog, I think, now. 🙂
I will collect up the ingredients for the cranberry one, then I'll give this one a go, too! 😉
Yummmmmmmmmm!!!!!! (Isn't it Gold Medal?)