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We found this recipe; actually Merri Ann did, in an old cookbook decades ago.  We’ve morphed it a little. They’re called pumpkin pie squares.

And yeah, they are better than pumpkin pie.

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  • They taste better.  I like the oat and brown sugar crust instead of the pastry crust.  I like the crunchy nut topping.
  • It’s easier.  There’s no pie crust to work with.
  • You can pick the size that works for you, whether it’s two of you or whether family is coming.
  • It’s got a really yummy whipped cream topping.

Merri Ann made these often.  I remember it was her go-to recipe for church suppers.

Then I started making them.  I have a tendency to tinker with recipes but I don’t remember changing much.  Eventually we created versions for small, medium, and large batches.   When we made this in our store, the staff and the customers loved it.

We served it with ginger whipped cream or caramel whipped cream. Recipes follow.

Make these squares.  It’ll be a “go-to” recipe for years to come, especially a dessert to take to parties and get-togethers.

This recipe is worth clipping and saving.

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Squares

We designed this recipe for a small, a medium or a large batch.  Use an 8 x 8-inch baking pan for the small, an 8 1/2 x 13-inch pan for the medium, and a 10 x 15-inch pan for the large.

Ingredients

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

  1. For the crust, cut the butter into the sugar, oats, and flour until crumbly.  Press the ingredients into an ungreased baking pan, across the bottom and up the sides.   Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
  2. For the topping, cut the butter into the nuts, flour, and brown sugar.  Set aside.
  3. For the filling, combine all ingredients in and whisk until smooth and all ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour into the baked crust.  Bake for twenty minutes and remove from the oven.  Immediately, spoon the topping over the filling and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center comes out almost clean.  Cool on a wire rack.  Garnish with flavored whipped cream.

Caramel Spiced Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. caramel flavor
1 tbsp. meringue powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Ginger Whipped Cream

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. butter rum flavor
1 tbsp. meringue powder
1/2 tsp. ginger
Pinch of salt

There is just enough heat in this to give it some warmth.

 

About the Author

Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho and the author of How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking available as an E-book or as a Kindle book on Amazon.

Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and five beautiful granddaughters.