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We are well into pumpkin season and I have not yet begun to satisfy my desire for all things pumpkin.
Pumpkin squares, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin squares, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pie are foods I can’t seem to get enough of this time of year.
Somehow, I have even managed to develop a minor addiction to Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte this year.
I recently made this recipe for pumpkin squares that produces delicious, moist, and spicy pumpkin squares that are like gingerbread, only better for a nut lover like me, because they are crusted with pecans.
To satisfy those not so excited about nuts, I doubled the recipe making one pan of pumpkin squares with nuts and one pan without.
Ingredients
- Pecans
- Canned pumpkin puree
- Dark brown sugar
- Canola oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Pumpkin Pie spice
- Salt
How to Make Pecan-Crusted Pumpkin Squares
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Generously grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Alternatively, line your pan with parchment or greased foil.
Step 2: Pour chopped pecans into the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom and sides evenly, and then carefully tip out the excess, saving them for the topping.
Step 3: Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link) and whisk until smooth.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt and whisk until well blended.
Step 5: Stir the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture just until combined. You don’t want to over mix since this can make your pumpkin squares tough.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Scatter the remaining chopped pecans over the top of the batter.
Step 7: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Step 8: Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting into 12 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
It’s adapted from a wonderful cookbook called The Weekendtep 6: pur Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People by Abigail Johnson Dodge.
This pumpkin squares recipe stirs together in minutes. It’s essentially your typical quick bread baked in a square pan for a nice change of pace.
These tasty pumpkin squares taste even better a day or two after baking when the flavors have had a chance to meld together and they travel extremely well, making them the perfect fall hostess gift.
Serve these pumpkin squares as a casual rustic dessert with freshly whipped cream or even better, this yummy sounding simple homemade pumpkin ice cream from SkinnyTaste.
These delicious pumpkin squares can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
How Many Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each pumpkin square has about 224 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
3 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you have made these Pecan-Crusted Pumpkin Bars, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Pecan Crusted Pumpkin Squares
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Generously grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Alternatively, line your pan with parchment or greased foil.
- Pour chopped pecans into the pan and tilt to coat the bottoom and sides evenly, and then carefully tip out the excess, saving them for the topping.
- Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl (affiliate link), whisking until smooth.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk until well blended.
- Stir the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture until just combined. You don’t want to over mix since this can make your pumpkin squares tough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Scatter the remaining nuts evenly over the top of the pumpkin squares batter.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes or so. Cut into 12 bars. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 9 PointsPlus (Old WW plan) These tasty pumpkin squares taste even better a day or two after baking when the flavors have had a chance to meld together and they travel extremely well, making them the perfect fall hostess gift. Pumpkin squares can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: This delicious pumpkin squares recipe is from The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People (affiliate link) by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Looks yummy. How many SmartPoints? Thank you.
I came across this in a search for a pumpkin bread w/ minima ingredients because the recipe I usually use is suddenly “gone”. They are baking right now and smell heavenly. I did have to punt with the pumpkin pie spice as I only had the cinnamon and nutmeg but I think it will be just fine. Amazingly I had everything else! Can’t wait to see how they turn out. They are for a little birthday brunch potluck for a co-worker.