Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Cake Mix Crust

This Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars recipe is a breeze and perfect for fall and the holidays! It pairs a cake-mix crust with a creamy pumpkin pie filling topped with a buttery brown sugar pecan crumble. Add a dollop of homemade whipped cream for the ultimate treat!

Gather Your Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make these easy pumpkin pie bars.

• Yellow Cake Mix. You'll need one box. Set aside 1 cup for the brown sugar crumble topping. You can also make this with white cake mix or spice cake mix instead.
• Unsalted Butter. You'll need one cup total: 1/2 cup melted for the cake base, and 1/2 cup cold and cubed for the streusel topping.
• Eggs. You need four in total: one for the cake mix base and three for the pumpkin pie filling.
• Pumpkin Puree. This is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. You'll need either two 15-ounce cans or one 1-pound, 13-ounce can.
• Light Brown Sugar. This gets split too: 1/2 cup goes into the pumpkin filling, and the other 1/2 cup is for the crumble topping.
• Milk. Any dairy milk works, though I suggest whole milk. You need 2/3 cup.
• Ground Cinnamon. I used Vietnamese cinnamon from King Arthur Baking. It's sweeter than regular ground cinnamon and has a bit more spice.

Here's How to Make Them!

1. Make the cake base. Whisk the yellow cake mix (save 1 cup for the topping), 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1 egg together. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
2. Make the pumpkin layer. Beat the pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, and the remaining 3 eggs together. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the cake base.
3. Make the crumble. Blend the reserved 1 cup of cake mix, the remaining 1/2 cup cold and cubed Plugra butter, the remaining 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Spread the topping over the pumpkin filling.
4. Bake for 40-42 minutes at 375ºF. Let them cool for 35-40 minutes before serving, or cool completely and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Yellow cake mix is my favorite, but you can also make this recipe with white cake mix or spice cake mix.

A 9 x 13-inch baking pan. It can be ceramic, metal, or glass.

Do they need to cool before serving? Not completely. Let the bars cool for 35-40 minutes before serving. If you prefer them chilled (my favorite), let them cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

More Bars & Brownies to Enjoy!