Pumpkin Bars: All the Flavour of Pumpkin Pie, Without the Pastry

PUMPKIN BARS
MAKES 9

This is my take on pumpkin pie, but it’s simpler because you don’t need to make a pastry crust. Instead, the biscuit layer comes together in minutes and makes for the perfect base for the rich, pumpkin filling. Once cooked and set, the condensed milk and egg yolks give the filling a custardy texture that I love!

Base
140 g (5 oz) Basic plain flour blend (page 12)
60 g (2 oz) almond meal
80 g (2¾ oz) soft light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
140 g (5 oz) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
425 g (14½ oz) pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
395 g (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks

Topping
200 ml (7 fl oz) thick (double/ heavy) cream
1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Grease and line a 20 cm (8 in) square cake tin with baking paper, making sure there is some overhang (you’ll use this to pull the slice out of the tin).

Combine the base ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the tin and spread the crumbs all over the base using a pallet knife, spatula, or the bottom of a glass to compress them and smooth them into an even layer.

Bake for 15 minutes, until golden, then allow the biscuit base to cool completely in the tin.

When you’re ready to make the filling, preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).

Combine the pumpkin puree, salt, vanilla and spices in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring consistently with a spatula for 6–8 minutes, or until it starts to steam and become fragrant. Remove from the heat and use a spatula to stir the condensed milk into the mixture, then the yolks. (Don’t use a whisk as it will introduce too much air, causing it to crack during baking.) Pour the filling onto the biscuit base and smooth the surface. Give the tin a few sharp taps on the bench to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 30–32 minutes, until there are some brown spots on the surface and only a slight wobble when jiggled. Allow it to cool for about 1 hour, then cover and transfer to the fridge to cool completely. Use the overhanging baking paper to lift the slice out of the cake tin before cutting into squares.

To make the topping, beat the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer until medium–stiff peaks form. Transfer the topping to a piping (icing) bag and cut off the tip at a sharp angle. Pipe topping onto each bar, then top with a light dusting of cinnamon, if using, and serve.

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.

This is an edited extract from Gluten-Free Bakes by Melanie Persson, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores from 29 September 2026. Photography by Ola O. Smit.