Pumpkin Magic Bars – 7 Layer Bar Recipe
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Pumpkin Magic Bars are a fall twist on Hello Dollies. Layers of rich toffee, creamy cinnamon chips, toasty coconut, and crunchy pecans covered in a velvety spiced pumpkin all on a snappy ginger crust. Set aside one of these pumpkin cookie bars for yourself because they will “vanish!”
Need another dessert bar recipe? Check out timeless Raspberry Almond Bars, classic Gingerbread Pumpkin Bars, and stop-the-presses Triple Chocolate Caramel Bars. If you’re still in the “pumpkin-anything mood,” don’t miss our Spiced Pumpkin Bars W/Browned Butter Icing.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Magic Dessert Bars
Do you like Magic Bars, Hello Dollies, or 7-Layer Bars? (Basically, the same cookie bar recipe with different names.) If you do and you’re a fan of pumpkin, you are going to L-O-V-E pumpkin magic bars!
- Full of velvety pumpkin, contrasting textures, and a creamy smooth toffee undertone, it’s pumpkin heaven!
- Pumpkin magic bars take front and center when a last-minute invite calls for an impromptu dessert idea.
- Ten minutes to throw together, a company-worthy dessert ready to go in under an hour.
- A great addition to family potlucks, Sunday brunch, or hosting a work meeting.
- More than just a cookie bar, seven-layer pumpkin bars are a taste of magic!
Ingredients For Pumpkin Magic Cookie Layer Bars
- Gingersnap Cookie Crumbs – made from gingersnaps. If you don’t have a preference, what works best is a dry, ginger-forward crisp with a balance of molasses, cinnamon, and a touch of clove, similar to Walmart’s GV brand.
- Unsalted Butter – melted and combined with the gingersnap crumbs form the base of the pumpkin cookie bar crust.
- Salt – just a pinch if you have the unsalted butter. You don’t need to add salt if you use salted butter.
- Toffee Bits – a lovely old-fashioned flavor blend of rich butter and brown sugar fused together in a smooth, crunchy candy.
- Cinnamon Baking Chips/Drops – add another creamy, melty layer of warmly spiced cinnamon to magic bars. You can find them by the chocolate chips at the grocery store.
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut – provide a fragrant, toasty taste and texture to pumpkin magic bars.
- Chopped Pecans – release their fragrant, nutty aroma and full sweetness as they bake and are ideal for enhancing the toffee notes.
- Pumpkin Puree – (NOT pumpkin pie filling). Pumpkin pie filling contains sugar and spices that will upset the balance of ingredients in this magic bar recipe. (Unless you’d like a little pumpkin with your sugar, trust me!) 🙂
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix – you can buy a pre-mixed bottle or DIY your own super easy Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice and tailor it to your taste.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – caramelizes during baking and puts the “magic” in pumpkin magic bars! Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk will not work!
Chef’s Note: Although Great Value (Walmart) Ginger Snaps are hard, flat, and dry, the amount of ginger in the cookie is impressive, and the GV brand “…would be great for recipes that call for crushed gingersnaps.”
The Mercury News
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How To Make Pumpkin Magic Cookie Bars
No muss, no fuss, a flavor-filled fall dessert with everything you could ask for in a crunchy creamy multi-layer bar cookie! Pull out a mixing bowl, a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, parchment paper, and a wire cooling rack, then watch the magic happen!
(full printable recipe at the end of this post)
- Crush gingersnap cookies until you have fine crumbs.
- Press gingersnap crumbs, salt, and melted butter mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle magic bar crust with toffee bits, cinnamon chips, shredded coconut, and pecans, building each layer one after the other.
- Combine pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Pour pumpkin milk mixture evenly over the whole pan of magic cookie bars without stirring. DO NOT STIR!
- Bake until the edges are golden brown.
- Cool completely and slice* the pumpkin 7-layer bars into 24 pieces
*Chef’s Note: If you’d like comprehensive step-by-step instructions on how to make cookie bars look professionally cut. Check out the Tips For Cutting Cookie Bars section on my Hello Dollies page.
7 Layer Pumpkin Magic Bar Recipe Notes
- Crushed gingersnaps should yield 2 – 2 ½ cups of fine crumbs.
- In this cookie bar recipe, two cups of graham crackers can be used instead of gingersnaps.
- If you don’t have a food processor, put gingersnaps in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs using a rolling pin.
- You should be able to find toffee bits and cinnamon baking chips in the store where chocolate chips are sold.
- Don’t confuse “cinnamon (baking) chips” with the botanical cinnamon chips that are pieces of Cinnamomum tree bark: C. burmannii, C. verum, C. cassia, and C. loureiroi.
How To Store Pumpkin Magic Bars
Refrigerate/Leftovers
I have to admit, there is every opinion under the sun about whether you need to store pumpkin magic bars in the fridge.
I’m going with “better safe than sorry,” so store cut bars in the fridge up to one week. Make sure they have cooled completely before storing them tightly covered in the pan. Or layer and stack with waxed paper and wrap well!
Freeze
Pumpkin magic bars can keep up to 3 months in the freezer. Cool completely then layer or wrap individually with waxed paper and freeze in an airtight container.
To Thaw: Leave bars in the fridge overnight, or let them warm up on the counter. Some people enjoy pumpkin layer bars cold or frozen for a chewy treat.
Recipe FAQs
It’s worth repeating: “As a general rule, no. In a recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, the spices and sugars are calculated to accommodate that particular pumpkin recipe. Substituting in a canned pumpkin pie mix will alter the sweetness and flavor…,” significantly in this pumpkin bar cookie recipe.
Cover and refrigerate the cookie bars for a couple hours until firm. Then remove and slice into squares with a warm knife.
Line your baking dish with parchment paper (or foil) so it overhangs the cookie bar by a couple of inches. After the bar cookie is cooled, lift it from the pan and place on a cutting surface. Dip the knife into a glass of hot water after each cut and wipe with a clean cloth.
For more detail, go to the Tips For Cutting Cookie Bars section in another legendary magic bar recipe to unpack this process.
Pumpkin Magic Bar Layers Substitutions/Variations
Pumpkin magic bars are so versatile you can blow a picky eater’s mind by switching up any layer(s) in this cookie bar recipe! Starting at the crust and working our way up, here are just a few suggestions for tweaking the flavor profile of 7-layer pumpkin bars:
- Gingersnap Crumbs – Vanilla wafers, graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers or waffer cookies, or pecan shortbread cookies.
- Butter – Coconut oil, ghee, or almond butter.
- Toffee Bits – Diced caramels, butterscotch chips, or chopped Skor bars (they have chocolate). Ahhh, what about chopped Almond Rocas? Yowza!
- Cinnamon Baking Chips – White chocolate, spiced pumpkin, butterscotch, or mini marshmallows.
- Sweetened Coconut Shreds – Unsweetened coconut flakes, baked coconut chips, or pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Not a coconut fan? just leave it out.
- Chopped Pecan Pieces – Macadamia nuts, walnuts, raisins, or whole pecans.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk (I have used this in other recipes with great success) or Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk.
Pumpkin Magic Bar Serving Suggestions
Pumpkin cookie bars are the perfect afternoon or evening treat with tea, coffee, or even a Bailey’s Martini With A Vanilla Twist.
Serve these versatile pumpkin dessert bars when spending time with friends, and enjoy a Gewurztraminer or Chardonnay. (Or just whip up one or three Caramel Apple Moscow Mules!)
How does a pumpkin magic bar caramel sundae sound? Warm the pumpkin bar, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle with caramel or sprinkle with nuts.
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Pumpkin Magic Bars
Pumpkin Magic Bars are a fall twist on Hello Dollies. Layers of rich toffee, creamy cinnamon chips, toasty coconut, and crunchy pecans covered in a velvety spiced pumpkin all on a snappy ginger crust.
Ingredients
- 12 ounce package gingersnap cookies
- ½ cup butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of toffee bits
- 1 cup of cinnamon chips
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan, or line with parchment paper to easily remove from the pan for perfectly cut bars. *see notes
- Put the gingersnap cookies into a food processor and pulse until you have a fine crumbs. In a small bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps, melted butter, and salt until well incorporated. Then press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle toffee bits evenly over the crust layer.
- Top with a layer of cinnamon chips.
- Sprikle coconut evenly over the chips.
- Next add an even layer of chopped pecans.
- In a small bowl, add milk, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the whole pan. DO NOT STIR.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown and the middle is set.
- Cool completely (it helps to chill in the fridge for an 1-2 hours) and cut into 24 bars. *see notes below. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Notes
Recipe substitutions and tips listed in the blog post
Store cut bars in the fridge for up to one week. Make sure they have cooled completely before storing them tightly covered in the pan. Or layer and stack with waxed paper and wrap well!
Pumpkin magic bars can keep up to 3 months in the freezer. Cool completely then layer or wrap individually with waxed paper and freeze in an airtight container.
To Thaw: Leave bars in the fridge overnight, or let warm up on the counter. Some people enjoy pumpkin layer bars cold or frozen for a chewy treat.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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