Nutella Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Snickerdoodle Crust

Nutella Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Snickerdoodle Crust

Not even kidding. You really can make a dessert that allows you to combine the wonder of nutella, pumpkin pie, and snickerdoodles all into one bite (not that you’ll be able to stop after one).   

This is one of those great recipes that allow us obsessive bakers to avoid having to make a decision when we’re in one of those "I want to bake EVERYTHING" moods. As you may have guessed, I was in one of those moods...and then I ended up with this. No regrets.

Snickerdoodle crust:

2 3/4 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 stick of butter, softened

*you can just use 2 sticks of butter if you don’t have shortening, no judgment.

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp cinnamon

Pumpkin Pie layer:

1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Nutella to swirl on top:

                                                    

NUTELLA!! So one 400 g jar should be more than sufficient. Nutella is happiness and is not meant to be measured, so I will not tell you to do so. Use an amount that is in direct correlation to your love of Nutella, keeping in mind you might consider using somewhat less than the entire jar. I recommend following my general rule that going overboard with Nutella does not really exist and even if it did, it could not be a bad thing. It is, however, very possible and VERY detrimental to use too little. [No pressure]  

*P.S. Look to this picture with the Nutella dropped on top of the pumpkin pie layer before I swirled it if you want a general idea of how much I used. I am not ashamed.  

*Also mix 3 tbsp cinnamon and 3 tbsp sugar to sprinkle on top of this layered dessert amazingness

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the snickerdoodle crust ingredients in the order in which they are listed, mixing some after each ingredient addition.

3. Spread the dough evenly in the pan and then put the pan in the oven for 5ish minutes in order to give the snickerdoodle layer a bit of a head start baking. As you may be able to tell in the pictures, my crust was a bit doughy. Neither me nor any of this dessert’s consumers minded in the least, given that cookie dough is at least a medium-high level of heaven, but if you don’t want a cookie dough crust, I’d recommend letting the crust cook a little on its own.  

3. Now it’s time to mix up the ingredients for the pumpkin pie layer. In a bowl, mix together the butter and sugar, and then add the rest of the ingredients, mixing after each addition, until the mixture is well combined. Pour this batter over the snickerdoodle dough/crust/however you’d classify it at this point.

4.  Drop spoonfuls of Nutella on top of the pumpkin pie mixture

5. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it on top.

6. Swirl the cinnamon, Nutella, and pumpkin pie mixture using your favorite kitchen utensil.

7. Bake for 35ish minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Let them cool as long as you can restrain yourself.

9. Devour.

How you can change it up/add to the consumption experience:

1.     Use chocolate chip cookie dough for the crust, or add chocolate chips to the snickerdoodle layer.

2.     Somehow incorporate peanut butter into this. It would make sense in the cookie dough or swirled on top with the Nutella…I think. Well, by “make sense” I mean it won’t be bad.  

3.     Butterscotch chips are wonderful and could potentially taste even more wonderful in snickerdoodles.

4.      Eat it with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream on top. Snickerdoodle nutella pumpkin pie bars a la mode...? There are no lines, so none can be crossed.

5.     Pair with chai tea to bring out the flavors of the cinnamon and the pumpkin pie spice.

Enjoy your food coma, and when in doubt, bake.

<3 Dena