These Pumpkin Nutella Bars Are To Die For

Do you have a fall obsession with everything pumpkin like I do? I’m not sure why we all go crazy for our #PSL the minute it’s available at Starbucks, but there is just this undeniable connection between fall and #pumpkineverything. Right?

One of my favorite childhood recipes was when my mom would make her delicious pumpkin bread. I especially loved the end pieces–all that buttery goodness! Just like my mom, I have a few pumpkin recipes I make each fall (these pumpkin cookies and these pumpkin pancakes), as they are my hubby’s favorites. I’ve also experimented with pumpkin scones in the past. This fall, I was looking for something new, so I happened upon a recipe for Nutella stuffed pumpkin bars. What? Nutella sandwiched between pumpkin cookie layers. That sounds like heaven. So I adapted the recipe slightly which created absurdly delicious pumpkin Nutella bars. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I judge the goodness of my recipes based on how quickly my co-workers consume them. Well, the pumpkin bars only lasted about an hour — they were gone by about 10 am. One of my co-workers even asked for the recipe and said he probably ate about half of them. Honestly, I was slightly concerned that the Nutella would overwhelm the pumpkin, but it doesn’t at all. The rich hazelnutty chocolate works as a great complement to the spiced pumpkin flavor. These might be the best bars I’ve made on the blog, and I’ve made a lot of them. If you love yourself some pumpkin-flavored baked goods, you need to give these a try.

Pumpkin Nutella Bars 

½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Melt butter; add butter, pumpkin, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer until well-blended and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add in egg yolk, baking soda, salt, spice, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Then add flour and mix until batter is smooth and flour is incorporated.

Divide the dough in half. Use half the dough and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use cooking spray on your fingertips to help flatten the dough in the pan, as it is very sticky.

Bake for 8 minutes and remove from the oven. Melt the Nutella in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until it is pourable. Pour the Nutella over the partially baked crust and spread it evenly.

Scoop tablespoons of batter and flatten them out slightly and carefully place them over the top of the Nutella. The dough may not cover the entire top, but it should be close to covered.

Bake an additional 17-20 minutes until the edges turn a light golden brown. Cool completely before slicing.