Pumpkin pie can be so wedge-y, but these bars taste just as good and can be easily cut into squares and taken to a fall potluck. Forks are optional, as these can be eaten with fingers, too.

This uses evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk, fresh pumpkin instead of canned. I had to play around with a few different recipes before I was happy synthesizing this version. The “pumpkin goo” part was adapted from this pumpkin pie recipe. 

Be sure to bring everything to room temperature before you begin, especially the butter and eggs, and pumpkin puree (if using fresh vs. canned). If you’re starting with a fresh pie pumpkin, skip down the the instructions for roasting it before you start on the crust, as this step will take an hour and a half or so.

Crust:
1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger extract
2 1/2 cups ground graham crackers (roughly 3/4 of a box)

Let all the ingredients come to room temperature before you begin.

Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt on low speed.

Add the ginger extract and mix until blended, then add the graham cracker crumbs to wet ingredients and mix until they’re combined.

Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper (enough to give you a “handle” to pull the bars out of the pan later) and grease the interior.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom until you have a more or less smooth surface.

Pumpkin Goo:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
15 oz. pumpkin puree (1 can or 1 pie pumpkin — this will average around 17-18 oz, so you can add any leftover puree to thicken a soup.)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 can (12 oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves

If using a fresh pie pumpkin: cut it in half, remove the seeds and stringiest bits, and roast for an hour or so at 350F. Let cool, remove from skin, and use an immersion blender to goo-ify the rest.

Reset (or preheat) the oven to 375F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until you no longer see lumps of cornstarch.

Next, whisk in the canned pumpkin and eggs until well incorporated.

Lastly, add the evaporated milk and spices and vigorously whisk until everything is well combined. 

Pour onto the crust and bake 55-60 minutes, until the center is almost set. A small part of the center will be wobbly, and that’s okay. Start checking the doneness at minute 50 and then every 5 minutes until the pie is ready. 

Leave the pan in the oven and turn it off with the door open for at least 10-15 minutes. This will let the bars cool gradually and prevent cracking on top.

Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack and then refrigerate before serving.