Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars

Last week, I realized that my blog is seriously lacking butterscotch recipes! I’m not really sure why, since I love butterscotch. My earliest memory of butterscotch is when older brother used to make cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding for the two of us. It was delicious, warm comfort food! So, I knew I had to make something with butterscotch in it and wondered if pumpkin would go well with butterscotch. I decided to give it try and made these outstanding Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting!

This recipe, like most pumpkin bar recipes, makes a large pan of bars, so you’re going to have to share. To make the bars, mix together pumpkin, eggs and oil until combined. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, brown sugar, white sugar and mix well. Stir in butterscotch chips and spread into a greased jelly roll pan (mine measures 16 x 12 x 1). Bake at 350 degrees for 23-27 minutes.

Allow the pumpkin bars to cool and then make the butterscotch cream cheese frosting. Cream together room temperature cream cheese and butter. Mix in the vanilla, powdered sugar and butterscotch pudding. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk and beat until creamy. If the frosting is grainy from the butterscotch pudding, continue mixing at a lower speed for a few minutes to help it dissolve a little.

Spread the frosting over the bars and place them in the fridge until ready to serve. The butterscotch chips were mainly at the bottom of the bars and added great flavor, as well as a little bit of a chewy texture into the moist pumpkin bars.

It was a gorgeous weekend here in Minnesota… the kind of fall weather we dream about all year! We were able to spend time with several of our friends the weekend and I shared these pumpkin butterscotch bars with them.  The creamy butterscotch cream cheese frosting on top of the moist pumpkin butterscotch bars is such a great combination! The overwhelming reaction was that the bars were fabulous and they want the recipe. So, I’m starting the week sharing this recipe for you to enjoy too!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting

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Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 24 large or 48 small bars

Author: The Gunny Sack

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin 15 oz can
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups butterscotch chips

Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered instant butterscotch pudding
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions

• Mix together pumpkin, eggs and oil until combined.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, brown sugar, white sugar and mix well.
• Stir in butterscotch chips and pour into a greased jelly roll pan (mine measures 16 x 12 x 1).
• Bake at 350 degrees for 23-27 minutes.

Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream together room temperature cream cheese and butter. Mix in vanilla, powdered sugar and butterscotch pudding. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk and beat until creamy. If the frosting is grainy from the butterscotch pudding, continue mixing at a lower speed for a few minutes to help it dissolve a little.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g

Adapted from Pumpkin Bars in Bounteous Blessings by Frances A Gillette

Here are more pumpkin desserts for you to try:

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bars Recipe