Description
These Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookie Bars are a delightful fall treat, combining moist pumpkin puree with the sweet, rich flavor of butterscotch chips. Lightened with egg whites and pumpkin puree, these bars offer a chewy texture and a luscious cream cheese frosting drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate, perfect for any seasonal gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (Gold Medal)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 2/3 cup butterscotch chips
Frosting
- 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to ensure it’s perfectly hot when you start baking.
- Prepare Baking Pan: Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agent.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, egg whites, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, stirring until the batter is thoroughly blended. If the batter appears crumbly, add water one drop at a time until smooth.
- Fold in Butterscotch Chips: Gently fold the butterscotch chips into the batter to distribute them evenly without overmixing.
- Spread Batter: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan, using the back of a measuring cup to smooth the surface.
- Bake: Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the edges turn light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake to keep bars moist.
- Cool: Allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: While bars cool, beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and well blended.
- Frost Bars: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt semi-sweet chocolate by microwaving in a safe cup for 15 seconds, stirring, and then microwaving again for 15 seconds until fully melted.
- Drizzle Chocolate: Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frosted bars creatively.
- Cut Bars: Once the chocolate sets, cut into 15 large squares by making 5 cuts lengthwise and 3 cuts widthwise, then cut each square diagonally to create triangular bars.
- Store: Store the bars in the refrigerator until ready to serve to maintain freshness and firmness.
Notes
- These Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars provide a moist and chewy texture, balanced by the sweetness of butterscotch chips and the tangy cream cheese frosting.
- The use of pumpkin puree makes these bars lighter and perfect as a fall seasonal dessert.
- Be careful not to overbake to prevent the bars from becoming dry.
- If the batter feels too crumbly, adding small drops of water can help achieve the right consistency.
- Storing the bars refrigerated helps keep the frosting firm and extends shelf life.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 133 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
