Gooey Pumpkin Butter Bars

Soft pumpkin cheesecake squares with chocolate chips and coconut flakes

Pumpkin stuff is everywhere lately - pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin baked goods, and even pumpkin butter. For those of you who haven't tried it, pumpkin butter has the consistency of apple sauce and tastes like pumpkin pie filling. I've seen it everywhere, from specialty food stores to the local Trader Joe's. This recipe is adapted from one in Williams-Somona's blog and puts the pumpkin butter to use in a cream cheese dessert bar with a graham cracker and walnut crust and a chocolate chip-coconut topping. The bars are soft and gooey with a bit of crunch from the toasted coconut and some tang from the cream cheese. They make a great dessert or snack for a Halloween party or potluck.


More Pumpkin Recipes:
- Pumpkin Soup
- Citrus Bars
- Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Seeds


Gooey Pumpkin Butter Bars:

• Preheat the oven to 365F.
• Spray an 8"x8" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a food processor, combine 1 c. walnuts, 4 oz. graham crackers, and 2 tbsp. brown sugar and blend until fine crumbs.
• Pour in 1 stick melted butter and blend again until moist.
• Pat the graham-walnut crust into the baking dish, making sure it's tightly packed.
• In a mixer, combine 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 3/4 c. pumpkin butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg until smooth.
• Pour the pumpkin filling over the crust and then sprinkle the top with 1 c. mini chocolate chips.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes and bake for another 20 minutes.
• Let cool, then slice into bars and serve.

Serves ten-twelve