These Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Toffee Bars are the perfect substitution for traditional pumpkin pie. Layers of cakey shortbread, a smooth pumpkin filling, and a sprinkle of Heath toffee bits make for a yummy fall treat!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Hey there! I’m still alive…well, halfway alive…ummm, let’s just say I’m working my way back from the dead. If you follow my instagram, you’ll know that I ran the St. George Marathon this past weekend. It was epic and intense and grueling and fantastic and excruciating and FABULOUS all at the same time!!!
I was so nervous before the marathon that I spent days and days baking and cooking but couldn’t bring myself to sit down for even a second at the computer to post. I guess you could say that scrambling around the kitchen is my anxiety outlet.
So then after running and returning home to real life, my body said, “WHAT THE HECK?!!!!!” and I’ve basically been struggling to stay awake and moving for the past two days. To be honest, it’s taken me about five times as long as it normally would to write these first three paragraphs because I keep dozing in and out of sleep over here. The struggle is real ya’ll.
Here’s the thing. I may be tired, but you people still need your recipes!!! Especially now that it’s fall. Fall is all about baking, and I can’t let you down. The parties are just beginning!
I will say, although I still long for island life, it’s nice to be back on the mainland where you can actually feel fall. It has got to be my absolute favorite season. Probably because I’ve always lived in areas where summers are agonizingly hot and sweaty, so once fall comes it’s like an end to torture and the beginning of pleasant life again.
Besides fall baking, I think my favorite part of the season has to be opening my doors and windows. I LOVE leaving the front and back doors open and letting the cool breeze flow through the house. There is nothing quite as relaxing as falling asleep to the sound of open windows next to your bed…well, unless that sound involves something creepy rustling around in your bushes. That wouldn’t be quite so soothing.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
But speaking of soothing…is there anything better than warm pumpkin pie with ice cream for a holiday treat?! I think not! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m not a huge pie fan, but I do occasionally enjoy a slice of pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie. Especially with a scoop of ice cream.
And if you are a pumpkin pie fan, too, as I believe most people are, you will go head over heels for these Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Toffee Bars. Dare I say these are even better than pie?! I do because they are. Trust me.
These bars are basically three layers of mouthwatering goodness. First, you’ve got the cakey, shortbread, sugar cookie like crust that is the perfect balance between soft, chewy, and slightly crisp. Just the right texture to hold the magic on top. And I’ll tell you what that magic is…
A silky smooth layer of pumpkin pie filling amped up with all the lovely spices like ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Yum, YUM! But here’s the crazy part. As the crust and the filling bake together, they create this sweet, buttery, cake batter tasting, magical layer in between themselves. It really is magic. Pure magic! I wish I could bottle it all up and then devour it with a spoon.
And then to top things off, literally, I sprinkled a layer of Heath toffee bits on top of the partially cooked pumpkin pie filling and just let the chocolate melt around those crunchy toffee pieces. Heaven, I tell you!
Here’s the great thing about this dessert. You can serve it slightly warm (after about 20 minutes of cooling) with a scoop of ice cream, or you can serve it completely chilled or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream. All three temperatures taste amazing, so you can pick your preference. Go ahead, you’re a big kid now.
Also, these pumpkin pie bars stayed fresh at room temperature for a solid three days with plastic wrap over the top. I thought the crust would get soggy, but it stayed surprisingly sturdy. You can keep them in the fridge or freezer even longer.
So get all wild and crazy and switch up that standard pumpkin pie recipe. These bars are soooooo much easier and are sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next holiday feast. Now onto some pecan pie bars. I’m thinking those are a must too…
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY…
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oreo Cheesecake Bars
- Gluten Free Toasted Coconut Toffee Banana Bread
- Gluten Free Layered Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese and Chocolate Ganache Filling
- Gluten Free Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- For the crust:
- 1½ cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour, or other all purpose flour
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- For the filling:
- 1 can Libby's 100% pure pumpkin (15 oz.)
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the topping:
- ⅓ cup Heath toffee baking bits
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Begin making crust. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix until evenly distributed. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until pea sized crumbs form. Dump crust into pan and spread out evenly. Press down firmly and evenly on bottom of pan.
- Make filling by using the same mixing bowl. Add all ingredients for filling into bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over crust mixture and spread out evenly using a spatula.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Keeping pan in oven, sprinkle Heath bits on top being careful not to burn yourself or knock the pan. Shut oven and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of bars comes out clean with very few crumbs.
- Remove pan from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream, or at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream.
- After completely cooling, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in fridge for up to 1 week, or in freezer for up to 3 months.
