Celebrating National Pumpkin Day with PUMPKIN CARAMEL spice bars!
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These pumpkin caramel spice bars are the kind of fall treat that quickly becomes a favorite. A simple oatmeal cookie base with warm spices, a gooey pumpkin caramel center made with sweetened condensed milk, and a sprinkle of chocolate chips make these bars irresistible and easy to prepare.
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If you love pumpkin, caramel, and warm baking spices, these bars deliver them all in one slice. The pumpkin caramel is surprisingly simple to make—no candy thermometer or melted sugar required. The secret is using sweetened condensed milk to create a rich, silky caramel that combines beautifully with canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PUMPKIN CARAMEL?
The pumpkin caramel is the quickest, most forgiving caramel you’ll make. Combine canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar in a bowl, then stir in a can of sweetened condensed milk until smooth. The result is a creamy, pumpkin-forward caramel that holds up well in the bar and stays delightfully gooey after baking.
Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk makes this step foolproof. With only milk and sugar in the ingredient list, it creates a perfectly smooth caramel without the fuss of traditional caramel-making techniques.
LET’S MAKE THE OATMEAL SPICE LAYER
The oatmeal spice layer is quick and requires no mixer—just melted butter and a few pantry staples. In a large bowl, mix dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, old-fashioned rolled oats, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Stir in melted butter until the mixture comes together into a slightly crumbly, cohesive dough. This will form both the base and the crumb topping.
PUTTING THE PUMPKIN CARAMEL SPICE BARS TOGETHER
Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the oatmeal mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom of a prepared 9×13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes to set the base.
After the crust has baked, remove it from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly across the hot crust. Pour the pumpkin caramel over the chips and spread gently. Crumble the reserved oatmeal mixture over the top, then bake for about 35 more minutes until the edges are light golden brown and the center is set.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely before cutting into bars. Cooling at room temperature takes about four hours; refrigerating will speed this up. Once cool, lift the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into 24 squares.
TIPS AND FAQ FOR MAKING THE BARS
- Do I have to line the pan with parchment paper? No—parchment makes lifting and cutting easier, but aluminum foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray works as well.
- Do I have to use dark brown sugar? No—light brown sugar works fine, though dark brown adds extra molasses richness.
- Are chocolate chips necessary? They enhance the flavor and texture, but you can omit them if desired. The bars are delicious either way.
- Is it necessary to let the bars cool completely? Yes. The pumpkin caramel needs time to firm for clean slices. Allow at least four hours at room temperature or chill to speed cooling.
- Can I halve the recipe? Yes—the recipe scales down well for an 8×8-inch pan.
NEED MORE FALL INSPIRED RECIPES?
- Cinnamon Apple Crostata
- Perfect Cinnamon Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- White Chocolate Pecan Pie
Recipe shared with Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck communities. Thank you for being here—happy baking!
Pumpkin Caramel Spice Bars
Recipe created and tested by: Tasia Harper
This simple bar cookie uses sweetened condensed milk to create a smooth pumpkin caramel layered between a spiced oatmeal base and crumbly oat topping. Warm spices, chocolate chips, and gooey caramel make these bars a fall favorite.
Time
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Bake: 45 minutes (10 + 35)
- Additional cooling: 4 hours
- Total: about 5 hours (including cooling)
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (for pumpkin caramel)
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the bars out later.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in melted butter until combined.
- Reserve 1 ½ cups of this oat mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the crust bakes, make the pumpkin caramel: whisk together pumpkin puree, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Remove the crust from the oven and evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Pour the pumpkin caramel over the chips and crumble the reserved oat mixture over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake about 35 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown.
- Cool completely (minimum 4 hours) before lifting from the pan and cutting into squares. Refrigerate to speed cooling if desired.
Notes
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you don’t have parchment, line the pan with foil and lightly spray it with cooking spray.
Nutrition (estimate per bar)
Calories: 313 kcal • Carbohydrates: 37 g • Protein: 3 g • Fat: 18 g • Sugar: 21 g
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