Description
These Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookie Bars are a delightful Fall dessert featuring a moist and chewy texture, enhanced with pumpkin puree and studded with sweet butterscotch chips. Topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting and drizzled with melted semi-sweet chocolate, they offer a perfect balance of spice and sweetness in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry 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
Wet Ingredients and Sugar
- 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
Add-ins
- 2/3 cup butterscotch chips
Frosting
- 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- 2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray to ensure the bars don’t stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon. Stir these together until evenly blended.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted unsalted butter, egg whites, pumpkin puree, and pure vanilla extract until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing until the batter is thoroughly blended. If the batter appears crumbly rather than smooth, add a drop of water at a time just until it smooths out.
- Add Butterscotch Chips: Gently fold the butterscotch chips into the batter, distributing them evenly.
- Spread Batter and Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, using the back of a measuring cup to smooth the surface. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the edges turn light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake to avoid dry bars.
- Cool Bars: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting: While the bars cool, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the frosting is smooth and well-blended.
- Frost Bars: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars.
- Melt Chocolate and Drizzle: To melt the chocolate, place it in a microwave-safe cup and heat for 15 seconds, then stir. Repeat heating for another 15 seconds and stir until fully melted. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frosted bars.
- Cut Bars: Once the chocolate has set, cut the bars into 15 large squares by making 5 cuts horizontally and 3 cuts vertically. Then, cut each square diagonally to create triangle-shaped pieces.
- Store: Keep the Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookie Bars refrigerated until ready to serve to maintain freshness.
Notes
- These bars are perfect for Fall with their warm pumpkin and spice flavors combined with sweet butterscotch.
- Do not overbake to avoid dry cookie bars; check with a toothpick for doneness.
- If the batter is too crumbly, add water sparingly to achieve the right consistency.
- Using 1/3 less fat cream cheese makes the frosting lighter without sacrificing flavor.
- Store the bars in the refrigerator for best texture and freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 133 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
