Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

It smelled like Thanksgiving at my house this morning. The sweet smell of pumpkin in the oven filled my house with memories of turkey day. This is a dessert that is on the menu here every Thanksgiving.

It's one of my Mom’s recipes. She has been making these ever since I can remember. They are one of my all time favorite Fall desserts. Three layers of scrumptiousness. I can’t even believe that scrumptiousness is a word. It must be cause my spell checker didn’t even pick up on it. Anyway, these are wonderful. A moist cake layer on the bottom, creamy pumpkin in the middle and just the slightly sweet crunch on top.

If you don’t like pumpkin, then well, they won't be so wonderful to you, but if you are a pumpkin lover like I am, you will be in pumpkin heaven.

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares
Printable recipe
Bottom Layer
1 package yellow cake mix
1 egg
½ cup butter, softened

Filling
3 cups pumpkin pie filling (1lb, 4oz) * see note
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs

Topping
1 cup reserved batter from bottom layer
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of a 9x13 pan. Combine the bottom layer ingredients. This will be a thick batter. Reserve 1 cup and set aside. Press the remaining mixture into the pan. It helps if you wet your finger tips while pressing it down into the pan.

Combine the filling ingredients until smooth and pour over bottom layer. Combine the topping ingredients along with the reserved cup of batter and distribute over the top. Just grab it with your hands and kind of dollop it all over the top. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool and cut into squares.

*Note – If you are using 1lb can (16oz) of pumpkin that is not spiced you must add 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and ½ cup brown sugar to the pumpkin.