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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.

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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. 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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. 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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. 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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. 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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. It’s just some browned butter, powdered sugar, brewed espresso, and vanilla. 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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! 

Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
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

espresso glaze

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!
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Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

4.70 from 180 votes (97 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Oh my god these are amazing!! My only problem is I can’t find pumpkin butter now that we are into spring. What recipe would you recommend for pumpkin butter? Thank you

  2. Not bars more like a cake/loaf. Glaze if following directions is not white and icing like but rather dark brown and syrup like. Delicious though.

    1. Hi Olivia,
      Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Yes, the icing is definitely not white, that color comes from the espresso:) Glad they were enjoyed! xx

  3. 4 stars
    This was a very big hit in my office! I am happy to say I also now have pumpkin butter in my fridge so will be looking for more recipes that call for it. I agree with many of the comments that this was more of a bread than a bar but the taste was great! I highly recommend this recipe.

  4. Why is this cake? Next time I’m omitting the baking powder, there’s no way these can be considered “bars” they don’t look as pictured. It looks like cake.

    1. Hi Linds,
      Sorry to hear these did not turn out the way you would have liked them to. Please let me know if I can help in any way! xx

  5. I made these just as the recipe instructed even after reading the reviews saying it was more of a cake and to reduce this and that, aside from using my own icing recipe as I’m not an espresso fan.
    They were yummy and we loved them!
    With that said, they were definitely not a bar… more like a cake. After the required baking time they were still not nearing being fully cooked as the knife was dripping when I tested it.
    It is definitely more like a cake. A very yummy cake! Especially warmed up with milk before bed. Next time I will try baking for less time and maybe reducing the baking powder by 1/8-1/4 tsp.
    All in all, delicious, just doesn’t look as pictured. Would love to try again to get more of a bar!

  6. 3 stars
    The flavor is great but the texture is literal cake. I’ve made these 3x’s now and have tried tweaking flour, baking soda and powder and it always comes out a cake 🙁 maybe it’s because you bake at a much higher altitude?

  7. 5 stars
    I’ve made many of your dessert recipes and each one tops the next. I think this one is the most delicious recipe I’ve made. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin flavor so I didn’t think I would like them. WRONG! I absolutely love them and so do my 3 children and anyone else who tried them. Even people, who like me, aren’t crazy for pumpkin flavoring. These bars are incredible!! Big hit.

  8. I made these three or four times last year and found the all the flavors such an amazing combination! Brown sugar, pumpkin, espresso, vanilla chips…so yum!

    I have a question though…every time I made them they came out as more of a coffee cake consistency instead of a bar. You describe yours as gooey and they look like a dense bar…I’d love to achieve that, but am not sure why that isn’t happening for me. Any ideas?

    1. I had to search for it. I live on the East Coast and have found it at Trader Joes, Stop N Shop, Kings and Shop Rite. Tieghan has a recipe linked to make it (which I didn’t notice before trying to locate it in a store) It looks simple.

  9. 5 stars
    AMAZING
    so much fun making these- also made the pumpkin butter using your recipe as I was unable to find locally- smelled so divine and delicious over toast!
    so many compliments on this recipe Tiegan! For those who aren’t typical pumpkin flavor type people- they were pleasantly surprised! Very moist and not overly sweet – the white chocolate is a nice sweetness – DEFINTELY making these bars again! SO good cold also!

      1. 5 stars
        Mine are currently in the oven, can’t wait to try these! If I make them in advance (day in advance) should I put the glaze on right away or wait until closer to serve time?

    1. mine came out dark too bc of the coffee but i did also add more white sugar and a pinch of cream also .delicious just the same!!

  10. 5 stars
    So good! I used Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter. I also wanted it more of a brownie texture vs. cakey so only used 1/2 tsp of baking powder per suggestions in other comments. Lastly instead of espresso in the glaze I used bourbon! Really really good!!!!