A delicious twist on the classic Baklava recipe that is packed with flavors that scream fall.
These delicious bite-size bars contain layers of crushed nuts, honey, and pumpkin puree, and are topped with streusel. This Pumpkin Baklava Bars recipe has everything that delicious baklava has plus that seasonal Autumn spice.
About This Recipe
- This recipe is a delicious twist on the classic Baklava recipe that is full of flavors that scream fall.
- These Bars have three distinct layers. Their base layer is made of crushed pecans and walnut mixed with honey. The middle layer is a mix of pumpkin puree, honey, and softened cream cheese, which we use in pumpkin cheesecake. And finally, it has a delicious and fluffy streusel topping.
- The kind of nuts you would use is optional, but I like to use mixed nuts for additional flavor. Make sure to roast the nuts, See TIP TUESDAY.
- The reason I called this recipe Pumpkin Baklava Bars is that honey is one of the main ingredients here. Honey not only adds a wonderful flavor to this recipe but also creates a lot of moisture. The other reason is that this recipe has a ton of fragrant spices such as cardamom and clove.
How To Make These Pumpkin Baklava Bars
- We start with crushing the nuts into a fine texture. Add in the honey and butter. Press this mixture to the bottom of a square pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the middle layer by mixing the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, honey, and spices. Spread this mixture over the baked base, top it with the topping, and bake for another 30 minutes.
- The Top streusel is made of brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, butter, and Chai Spice. See Spice Blends.
Disclaimer: I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Baklava Bars
A delicious twist on the classic Baklava recipe that is packed with flavors that scream fall.
Ingredients
For The Base
- 1 cup All-purpose flour, Spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar, Packed
- ⅓ cup Butter, Melted
- ½ cup Pecans, Finely chopped
- ½ cup walnut, Finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Chai spice blend, See notes
For The Middle Layer
- 8 Ounce Cream cheese, 1 package (8 ounces) Softened
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Pumpkin puree
- 2 Eggs, Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Chai spice, See notes
- 1 tablespoon Honey
For The Topping
- ½ cup Dark brown sugar, Packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Butter, Cold, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup Pecan, Finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
How To Make The Base
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a square 8X8 inch pan with oil and line with parchment paper. Leave extra paper from the sides for removal.
- Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them. Nuts burn easily.½ cup Pecans, ½ cup walnut
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, honey, flour, and brown sugar. Add in the crushed pecans and walnuts.1 cup All-purpose flour, ⅓ cup Brown sugar, ⅓ cup Butter, ½ cup Pecans, ½ cup walnut, 2 tablespoon Honey, ½ teaspoon Chai spice
- Press this mixture to the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.
How To Make The Middle Layer
- Beat the softened cream cheese with sugar until soft, then add the pumpkin puree, honey, spice, eggs, and vanilla extract. The mixture should be smooth.1 teaspoon Chai spice blend, 8 Ounce Cream cheese, ¾ cup Granulated sugar, ½ cup Pumpkin puree, 2 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon Honey
- Pour this mixture over the baked base, and move on to prepare the topping.
How To Make The Topping
- In a bowl mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, chopped pecans, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well.½ cup Dark brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup All-purpose flour, ¼ cup Pecan, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Add in the diced cold butter and using a fork coat the butter with the flour mixture. Do not mix the butter into the flour completely. We want the mixture to have pea-sized pieces.¼ cup Butter
- Spread the topping all over the middle layer and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for one hour, then lift the paper from the sides. Place on the cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- See the Spice Blends for Cai Spice recipe
- Place a thick piece of paper towel over the pumpkin puree to absorb the water and make it thicker.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 146mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 1622IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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