Baker by Nature

A Baking Blog by Ashley Manila

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Bars

Fall finally feels like it’s starting to settle in here in the Hudson Valley. The leaves have begun to casually drop from the trees, the windows need to be shut tight before bed time, and pumpkins are slowly beginning to replace our beloved tomatoes at the farmers market. I, obviously, could not let the arrival of Autumn come without baking a pie to welcome it. You can never have too many excuses to bake pie… At least that’s my motto and I’m sticking to it 😉

This pumpkin pie is made in bar form (so much easier!), and the batter is enhanced by a FULL cup of creamy, dreamy Greek yogurt. Now. Some important news: YOU MUST USE FULL-FAT YOGURT. Please. I tried these bars with non-fat Greek yogurt and they were spongey and not silky, so the advice I heed is for your own good…

I want you to have the best possible pie experience! The crust for these greek yogurt pumpkin pie bars couldn’t be easier! It’s a basic graham cracker crust, and it comes together in your blender with very little effort from you. If you don’t have a blender, don’t fret! I’ve thought about this and I think you could easily crush the graham crackers (REALLY crush em’) with a rolling pin or even a wine bottle 😉 Just be sure they’re completely in crumbs before you mix them with the remaining ingredients.

The pie bars take a little less than an hour in the oven, and will have your home smelling like a little slice of pumpkin heaven. During this time I highly recommend just sitting in front of the oven and inhaling all that goodness. Just kidding 😉 Do whatever you want. Just be sure to set a timer for these pie bars, as they can easily go from creamy to over baked like that. When you pull them from the oven the center may look a slight wobbly, but that’s ok! They will firm up a good deal while they’re cooling. Promise!

I topped each creamy bar with a little dollop of bourbon whipped cream (a must!), but I must confess I regret not trying a piece with a scoop of vanilla, too. I know… in retrospect I don’t know what I was thinking. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? Do me a favor and have a slice with whipped cream AND a slice with ice cream. For me 😉

 

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Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Bars

Ingredients

  • For the Crust:
  • 2 cups graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Filling:
  • 1 can (29 oz.) pumpkin
  • 1 cup (8 oz) FULL FAT Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/4 cup heavy creamy
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
  2. For the Crust:
  3. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper; set aside.
  4. In the body of a blender combine graham crackers, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Pulse until the crackers have been completely smashed into tiny crumbs. Add melted butter; stir well to combine. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Pour pumpkin mixture on top of crust when ready to bake.
  5. For the Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Filling:
  6. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
  7. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees (F), then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees (F) and bake for about 45 minutes longer, or until the filling is fully set. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool *completely. Cut into bars and serve with whipped cream (if desired).

 

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Comments

  3. Faith @ Pixie Dust Kitchen says

    September 18, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    I love how thick that crust is! These bars look so creamy and delicious- and that bourbon whipped cream sounds amazing!

    Reply

  9. Meg says

    September 19, 2014 at 7:32 pm

    *whispers* So I may or may not have made pumpkin pie bars from a box mix last night . . . they turned out great, but I’m sure these are far more amazing! So happy fall is here.

    Reply

  10. elizabeth says

    September 22, 2014 at 1:47 am

    Is there anything that could substitute for the heavy cream? I read online that you can use butter and milk but would almond milk work? Just curious.

    Reply

      • Marty says

        September 5, 2015 at 3:23 pm

        Hi, Just wondering how to make that flower-type thing on top with whip cream? There’s no directions. Also, if I made it would it last long on top or would it have to stay super cold… (because I plan on taking it to an outdoor potluck.)
        Thanks in advance. They look delicious!

        Reply

  11. Jodi Duncan says

    September 23, 2014 at 12:07 am

    You mention something about pretzel in the #4 directions sections, but i don’t see them in the receipe- am i missing something. I want to make these this weekend

    Reply

  12. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says

    September 23, 2014 at 11:05 am

    These look amazing Ashley! I love pumpkin pie but don’t like the hassle of making the dough and I love bars so much better. Yours look perfect and I love that you used Greek yogurt – pinning and can’t wait to try these girl 🙂

    Reply

  13. Marissa Leo says

    November 25, 2014 at 11:44 pm

    Hi.. I could not find any full fat greek yogurt at my store and I plan to make these tomorrow. I picked up full fat plain yogurt. Will that work too? Or is there anything I can add to nonfat greek yogurt to make it work the same? Can’t wait to make them! Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    • bakerbynature says

      September 8, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      Hi Marty. The flower is just a simple piping bag with a star tip. I filled the bag with whipped cream, then just pressed down a little squiggle on the top of each square. I do not recommend topping them with whipped cream ahead of time as it will get soft and runny. These bars will last about 2 hours at room temperature, so as long as you keep them in the fridge before the potluck, you shouldn’t have any issues 🙂

      Reply

  18. Courtney says

    November 23, 2015 at 7:03 pm

    These look so divine I’m currently debating whether I should make them for Thanksgiving this year. Do they taste similar to classic pumpkin pie, just in bar form? I’m wondering if I could replace the cream with either milk, fat free half-and-half, or extra greek yogurt.

    I’m also curious if you have access to the nutritional information on these. Thank you!

    Reply

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