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If there was ever a recipe that screams fall, itโs these Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars with Vanilla Espresso Glaze. Made with nutty browned butter, cinnamon, spiced pumpkin butter, and white chocolate. Then generously glazed with a sweet, thick, and creamy vanilla espresso glaze. Thereโs really nothing not to love about these autumn-spiced pumpkin bars. The true secret? Brown butter, brown sugar, and sweet pumpkin butter. They keep these bars incredibly flavorful, soft, gooey, and so delicious. These bars require so little effort to make. Theyโre salty-sweet, heavy on the pumpkin butter, and every last bite is truly delicious.
Do you visit Trader Joe’s often? If you do, have you seen their Pumpkin Blondie Brownies? Well, it’s that sweet dessert that inspired me to make these bars.
To be honest, the name, Pumpkin Blondie Brownies, is what excited me most. It caught my attention and made me want to recreate the blondie brownies at home. But then I started working on them. I quickly realized that there was no way to make a pumpkin brownie blondie. It’s either one or the other.
And that’s when I scratched the original concept and made these.
And I LOVE these. They took me a while to perfect, but these are so GOOD.
These are not your average pumpkin bar, which honestly, I can find a little boring. These are not boring. Think of them like a pumpkin latte with brown sugar syrup and a couple of espresso shots.
There’s also browned butter, spiced pumpkin butter, and white chocolate too. So much pumpkin flavor with the concentrated pumpkin butter.
Start out by browning salted butter on the stove. Browning the butter really adds a rich nutty flavor to these bars and makes them just a touch cozier. Perfect as we head into the cooler, shorter days of autumn. Once the butter is browned, remove it from the stove, and dump in all of the remaining ingredients.
Brown sugar, pumpkin butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, and spices (lots of cinnamon). Then stir in the white chocolate chips. Or go for semi-sweet/dark chocolate. Either is delicious!
This makes up the dough. Pretty simple.
Spread the dough out into a pan, then bake. As the bars bake away, youโll have incredible wafts of cinnamon, pumpkin, and butter in the air. Itโs the coziest smell, especially on a dreary cold day.
For the pumpkin butter, I used my 6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter, but of course, you can use store-bought pumpkin butter too.
I took inspiration from my pumpkin spice latte (do we need my easy homemade recipe?), and decided on a vanilla espresso glaze. Itโs just some browned butter, powdered sugar, brewed espresso, and vanilla.
It’s thick, creamy, and makes each pumpkin bar addicting. The glaze seeps into every nook and cranny of the bars.
Complete perfection. Tip: bake these up and enjoy them while burning my pumpkin smash candle – oh so cozy!
Looking for other sweet fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fluffy Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Old Fashioned Caramel Apple Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter Bread
6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Double the Streusel Apple Butter Bars
Homemade Slow Cooker Maple Apple Butter
Lastly, if you make these Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Hi! These look amazing! Can I make these a day ahead? If so, what is the best way to store them? Should they be served warm? Thank you!
Hey Tabrie,
Yes, you can totally make these a day ahead! Just store in an airtight container on the counter. I think these are great served both warm or room temp. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Do you think subbing in maple butter for maple syrup would work here?
Hi Miriam,
I haven’t tested this and since there’s already 2 stick of butter in these, I don’t think I would recommend it. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
1/4 what of maple syrup? Cup?
Looking forward to making these for coworkers this weekend!
Hi Laura,
Yes, it’s 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I hope you love this recipe! xT
loved this recipe. mine also turned out more like a cake than bars. but still so good. the glaze was runny so I added more powdered sugar than it said. I will be making them again.
Hey Jo,
Happy Sunday! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Hi! Same thing happened to me, they turned out to have a more cakey texture and icing was runny. Taste still SO good but what do you suggest to achieve the fudgy texture yours has in the pictures?
Thank you!!
Hey Alyssa,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! Did you by chance bake these in a glass baking dish? I really think metal is best for baked goods. To thicken the icing up, just add some more powdered sugar. I hope this helps! xT