Brown Butter Pumpkin Espresso Bars with Pumpkin Swirl

These bars are like a pumpkin spice latte in dessert form, blending the rich flavor of coffee, warm fall spices, and velvety pumpkin puree into one irresistibly fudgy bite. Perfect for PSL lovers and pumpkin enthusiasts alike, these brown butter pumpkin bars are swirled with a spiced pumpkin ribbon that not only looks beautiful but makes every slice taste like autumn.

Author: Browndis

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Calories: 163 kcal per serving

Ingredients

10 tablespoons - unsalted butter
1 tbsp - espresso powder
1 cup - light brown sugar
¼ cup - granulated or cane sugar
1 - egg
2 - egg yolks
2 teaspoons - vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups - all-purpose flour
¾ tsp - ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons - pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp - baking powder
1 tsp - cornstarch
1 tsp - salt
½ cup - pumpkin puree
¼ cup - granulated or cane sugar
1 tsp - pumpkin pie spice
salt

Instructions

In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir often until it foams, then turns golden with brown specks on the bottom, about 5–7 minutes. Immediately whisk in the espresso powder until fully dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.
Set your oven to 350°F (177°C) so it’s ready when your batter is done. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang for easy removal later.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter mixture with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the batter looks glossy and thick.
Fold about 3/4 of the pumpkin swirl mixture into the wet batter, leaving streaks for a marbled effect.
Sift in the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, clove, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing so the bars stay tender.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Dollop the remaining pumpkin mixture on top and use a butter knife to gently swirl it into the batter.
Bake for 26–30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center looks slightly underbaked—it will finish setting as it cools.
Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting them out with the parchment paper. Slice into squares and enjoy!

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