Pumpkin and Fudge Layer Bars with Salty Crunchy Streusel
I’ve always liked layered desserts. Stripes of different colors and textures and flavors, all stratified like those geology book illustrations I’ve always found so intriguing. They both beg me to look closer, to investigate the composition of each band.
Take these Pumpkin and Fudge Layer Bars with Salty Crunchy Streusel, for example. Don’t they make you want to reach into your screen and pull one out, so you can study each delicious layer?!
I created these bars, inspired by my sister Jessica’s love for pumpkin and chocolate. The photo above, snapped back in 1977, is one of my very favorites. It captures the essence of my youngest sister. Vibrant, playful, mischievous even…with a never failing desire to talk. I’m pretty sure her goal in this photo was to get to the telephone or the farm’s CB radio to get some conversation going!
Jessica will be celebrating her birthday over the upcoming weekend, and I’m taking this time and space to call out the beautiful person she is. Although her “abundance of life” can often make me dizzy in the head, I also know her to be one of the most tender and thoughtful people in my life. She’s a sweetheart that is always thinking about you, rooting for you, praying and hoping for your very best. She will compromise her own comfort to help you. Or someone she barely knows, for that matter. She’s a giver. Has alwaaaaaayyyys been a giver. It’s quite normal to receive a special birthday gift six months before your birthday, only to receive another gift on your actual birthday. Giving is her joy. And I’m so blessed to call her my friend.
These “Happy Birthday Jessica” treats are layered with dense spiced pumpkin cake, thick fudgy chocolate, and scrumptiously salty crunchy yum. Special enough for a birthday, common enough to be called a bar, they make a great dessert for any fall gathering.
Happiest Birthday to you, dear Jessica.
♥ ♥ ♥
Pumpkin and Fudge Layer Bars with Crunchy Streusel
Cook Time:28 minutes
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 9”x13” pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and slowly incorporate until batter is smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Spread batter into prepared pan.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips. Stir constantly, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and very quickly spread fudge layer over pumpkin layer. As the fudge cools, it becomes harder to spread.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add butter. Use a rigid pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter until you have pea-size crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the fudge layer, pressing it into the fudge just a little bit.
Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Place under broiler for a minute or two to get a more golden color and crunchier streusel. Set on wire rack to cool completely.
from a farmgirl’s dabbles
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Happy Birthday Jessica !!! I’ll make these bars and think of you.
One of my oldest girl friends is celebrating her BD tomorrow…10/01.
Brenda,
I was so inspired by the way these bar cookies looked I just had to make them!! However, after carefully following your recipe I found them to be not at all what I had expected. I used very expensive chocolate and high quality butter and yet the fudge in the middle fell flat in flavor with just the sweetened condensed milk. And speaking of the fudge, it never quite got “fudgey” hard. I can cut them through with a serrated knife to get the same effect as in your photo but when I bite into them the chocolate is loose. What could I have done wrong? The fudge overwhelmed the cookie. I am a home chef and love to take on recipes that are worthy of lengthy preparation. I even made my own homemade brown sugar for this recipe. I used your suggestion and broiled them for 1 minute at the end and even got the perfect browness on the top. If you could give me some tips on making this one better i would appreciate your help.
Hello Diane – I’m sorry to hear that this didn’t turn out for you. It’s so hard for me to say why the fudge didn’t work out. Mine was very thick, and stayed that way until the last piece disappeared.
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I don’t think you could add any more perfection to this recipe!! These look so decadent and perfect for a crisp fall day!! Thanks so much for sharing!
I have a soft spot for fudge!
Wow! That layer of chocolate is calling my name!
I love pumpkin anything and these look so delish! Especially sweet as a tribute to your sister!!!
These look wonderful! And your story is absolutely true. Jessica was born with the gift of giving and she is herself a gift!
Truly. xo
I need to make these right now! YUM!
My birthday is coming up on Halloween – can you fedex some to me?! Nahhh, I’ll have made three batches of these for myself by then haha. YUM!1
What a great birthday dessert! Love the crunchy streusel topping!
Sweet post – hope your sister has a wonderful birthday! :) These bars look fantastic, Brenda!
I love layered bars too, these look so good. Such a sweet birthday post for your sister!
This has fall flavors with my fav combo Sweet & Salty! :)
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Your photos and stories are one of a kind Brenda! Love the trip down memory lane we get when you thoughtfully put together a recipe and memory together. These pumpkin bars look heavenly and they will be on the menu for the weekend! Happy Birthday to your sister!
Thank you so much, Wendy. :)
What a blessing to have such a special bond and friendship with your sister. I am sure she loved this special treat. I know I would. These sound absolutely amazing!
Truly a blessing. Love that girl! :)
Your sister sounds like a very special person. And what a special treat for her birthday!
She’s definitely one of kind. :)
These look and sound amazing. Happy Birthday to your sister!
Your layers look so perfect Brenda! That fudgey middle layer is calling my name and I love the combinations of pumpkin and chocolate and salty and sweet!
Brenda, this is just the sweetest post! Love the recipe, and the picture of Jessica.
I agree with every word of your heart-warming tribute to her. A dear sister and
daughter!
xoxo
That fudge layer just looks amazing!
I promise you, it is!! ;)
These look so yummy! Can’t wait to try them.
Such a sweet post! This may be the best combination of pumpkin and chocolate I’ve ever seen! I love everything that’s going on in these bars!
Thank you, Kelli! :)
That streusel looks especially delicious! Pumpkin and chocolate are super fabulous together!
Lovely post – I hope your sister has a fantastic birthday! The bars look delicious! I bet all those different textures and flavors put them over the top.
Thank you, Suzan! :)
Such a cute post! I gave a younger sister who sounds a lot like yours, always wanting to talk! Happy Birthday to Jessica! Hope she has a great day!
I too love layer bars! So many favors and so fun to look at! This is a killer combo! I love all the layers!
Thanks, Tieghan! :)