Hope everyone had a great weekend. Can you believe it’s already October? Once the month begins, the holidays seem to arrive quickly. It even felt chilly yesterday, which I enjoyed.
Thank you to everyone who shared stories and comments about school lunches — I loved reading them all. Congratulations to commenter #132, Shari, who was randomly selected to win the Revolution Food prizes. I’ll be emailing you; please respond by tomorrow morning to claim your prize.
This recipe is a playful twist on classic magic bars. I was in the mood to bake on Saturday and decided to blend autumn flavors with the gooey elements we all love. I used a mini cheesecake pan to make individual bars, which are adorable and perfect for sharing. They take a bit more time to assemble, but I had them in the oven within about 30 minutes. A tip: run a plastic knife around the edges shortly after they come out of the oven — it’s much easier to loosen them before the coconut crisps up.
The cream cheese pumpkin layer adds a lovely creaminess that balances the sweet layers above it. If you don’t already have a mini cheesecake pan, they’re a fun tool to try — they make charming individual servings. Enjoy!
Visit my friend Cory over at Zesty Cook for his POM giveaway as well.
Pumpkin Spice Magic Bar Minis
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 oz softened cream cheese
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s recommended)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashews
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Caramel ice cream topping to drizzle (or homemade if preferred)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine melted butter and graham cracker crumbs, then press the mixture into the bottom of mini cheesecake cups. Bake for 8 minutes and remove from the oven.
2. In a bowl, beat pumpkin, softened cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Spoon about two small spoonfuls over each graham cracker crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the pumpkin layer, then add cashews, then coconut, and finally pour the sweetened condensed milk on top. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove and let cool. Tip: before the bars are completely cool, run a plastic knife around the edges to loosen them — this helps prevent sticking as the coconut and condensed milk set.
3. Once cooled, gently remove the bars from the cups and arrange them on a serving tray. Drizzle with warm caramel and serve.
Yields 12 mini magic bars.
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Have a wonderful week! Come back soon for more treats.
Pumpkin Spice Magic Bar Minis
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree Libby’s
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup cashews coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- caramel ice cream topping to drizzle (or make your own if you’d rather)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Mix melted butter with graham cracker crumbs and press into the bottom of mini cheesecake cups. Bake 8 minutes and remove from oven.
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Beat pumpkin, softened cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Spoon about two small spoonfuls onto each graham crust.
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Layer chocolate chips over the pumpkin, then add cashews, coconut, and condensed milk. Bake 22–25 minutes or until the tops are golden. Remove and let cool.
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Before the bars fully cool, run a plastic knife around the edges to loosen them; they can become sticky as they set.
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After cooling, remove the minis from the cups, arrange on a tray, drizzle with warm caramel, and serve.