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If there was ever a recipe that screams fall, it’s 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. There’s 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. They’re 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.
Here are details
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 in a saucepan 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, you’ll have incredible wafts of cinnamon, pumpkin, and butter in the air. It’s 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. Be sure to use pumpkin butter and not canned pumpkin puree.
I took inspiration from my pumpkin spice latte (do we need my easy homemade recipe?), and decided on a vanilla espresso glaze. It’s just some browned butter, powdered sugar, brewed espresso, and vanilla.
It’s thick, creamy, and adds the perfect amount of sweetness to each bar. 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, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 227 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin butter
- 1/4 maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks
espresso glaze
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Let cool 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, maple, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish.3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until set in the center. Let cool.4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, espresso, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the glaze over the bars. Let set for 5 minutes. Cut into bars, snack, and enjoy!
This post was originally published on October 11, 2022
Didn’t have brown sugar so used regular cane sugar instead, still turned out so delicious!
Hi Loren,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! 👻
Are you able to make these without pumpkin?
Hi Scarlett,
Sorry, I wouldn’t recommend that, here are some other recipes you might enjoy:
https://fett-weg.today/brown-butter-glazed-peanut-butter-blondies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/brown-butter-apple-blondies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/chocolate-peanut-butter-pretzel-blondies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
The taste is amazingly yummy 😋 however like others have said, it is more like a cake not a bar and, the glaze turned out nothing like the picture shows. It was runny and I had to use a pastry brush to spread it over the entire bars.
Hi Linda,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was tasty for you! xT
Super tasty! Mine did turn out a bit cakey – reduced the soda and baking powder a little – used medal pan. Baked 28 min, I’m sure if I would have pulled them out 8 min sooner they would have been perfect! Cakey version is tasty too!!! Love it! But excited to try out less baking time!
Hey Mercy,
Thanks so much for giving these bars a try and sharing what worked well for you! 🎃 I am so glad to hear they were enjoyed! xT
A++++ for flavors. I followed the recipe and baked for 25 min and mine came out more cake like than the picture looks. I’m wondering if I maybe over baked? Next time I’ll use the weighted measurements to make sure that’s not where the error was. Nonetheless I will be eating them and maybe sharing if I can stop myself 😄 definitely a keeper.
Hey Kristin,
Thanks so much for making these bars and sharing your feedback! I’m so glad the flavors were enjoyed! Next time, reduce the baking powder and soda, that should help with the texture! xTieghan
This is a wonderful recipe. Loved the texture, flavor and the for the glaze I just whisked in another cup of powdered sugar so the color matched the recipe picture. Will absolutely make it again!
Hey Johanna,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
Is there an alternate for the glaze? Either a different glaze to try or an alternate for the expresso. I’m not a coffee drinker so I don’t have any on hand.
Hey Molly,
You can just use milk in place of the espresso for the glaze! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
These were good, just not blondies. They were cake like. I reduced the baking powder and baking soda, but still came out like cake. It could have used a bit more white chocolate chips. For the glaze, I used Tieghan’s recipe from her Brown Sugar Maple Ginger cookies.
Hey Debra,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, they are not meant to be blondies:) Thanks for giving the recipe a try and great idea to use the glaze from the cookie recipe! Thanks again! xT
The flavour is there but like others, the texture was very cake like and not a gooey bar as shown in the pictures.
Hi Ashley,
So sorry to hear you did not enjoy the texture! Did you bake in a metal pan? That really works best and then next time you could try reducing the baking powder and soda to see if that helps. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Bars tasted good but my glaze did not look anything like the picture – came out dark brown and more syrupy. Perhaps more powdered sugar would change the consistency – I didn’t try that but if you adjust the recipe please let me know:)
Hey Patience,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) Yes, sounds like you just needed some more powder sugar! xx
The flavor came out amazing! But like others mentioned the texture was very cakey, like have to eat with a fork. It still tasted great but not as transportable as I was hoping. The glaze also was very dark. It was not super sweet. Kind of like coffee cake but pumpkin.
Hi Sarah,
I appreciate you give this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry about the texture. Was there anything you adjusted? What kind of baking dish did you use? Like I mentioned to others, I’m not sure why this is happening, so sorry!! xx
Nothing altered, and a glass pan 🙂
Sometimes glass can give a different result when baking, I would try metal next time:)
In reference to the cake vs bar result- Could it be the difference in altitude? You’re in the mountains, I’m at sea level!
It shouldn’t be, I always cook/bake as if I’m at sea level:)
Omg…life-changing!! It’s been 48 hours and are there are only two bars left so safe to say these were a winner!! Two sticks of browned butter are NEVER a bad idea!! Will def be making these again.
Hey Tina,
Lol love it!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making them! xTieghan
Hi! Hoping to make these this week, but the above recipe says 1/4 maple. Can you please tell me what measurement?
Thanks so much! Love your recipes!
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah,
You will want to use 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Absolutely amazing! I just pulled it out of the oven and a whole section is gone already! My kids were obsessed.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Tuesday!🎃 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Super simple recipe. They turned out perfect. Did require just a couple extra minutes baking time, but they were a hit. I used a hand mixer on low for everything and then folded in the white chocolate. chips. Texture was dense and slightly gooey. Not dry or cakey. Seriously perfect. The espresso glaze was not white like yours though. It was the same color as the bar. Would love to know how to get a lighter color glaze. Followed directions exactly.
Hey Joanne,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)
perfect fall treat!
I used no chocolate in the mix and just added some sautéed apples with cinnamon and maple on top for a twist!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
These were super simple to make and a nice fall dessert for a cozy football Sunday!
That being said these also turned out very cakey with a dark runny glaze. I used a glass 9×13 pan and am in NY state so elevation shouldn’t be a factor. I also found that I needed an extra 10 minutes of bake time as the center was jiggly otherwise, usually my oven takes less time than noted. Would have rated higher if the what I was expecting reflected the end product.
Mine came out cakey and my glaze was dark as well. I’m wondering if I over mixed bc the batter had flour chunks in it so I tried to get those out. Was still a very yummy dessert! I also followed the recipe for pumpkin butter and that tasted great as well.
Hey Jasmine,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! I just gently fold this batter and then for the glaze, it could just be the brand of espresso or try adding more powdered sugar! xx
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you didn’t love the recipe. The glass pan is why you needed extra baking time:) To make the glaze less runny just add more powdered sugar. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx