Pumpkin Caramel Bars with Bacon

Pumpkins are on every doorstep.  The candy aisles are empty at all of the grocery stores.  Halloween is almost here!  Which is why I decided to make pumpkin bars for this week's post.  What makes these treats really scary?  They have crumbled, crispy, smokey, greasy bacon sprinkled on top!  It may sound bizarre, but the combination of the spicy pumpkin bars, sweet caramel frosting, and salty bacon actually work well together to form a delicious dessert!

I really enjoyed making this recipe, but just a warning: it isn't one of those treats you can whip up quickly.  There are a lot of elements, each of which takes time and careful moderation.  The bacon needs to be cooked first so it can cool by the time the bars and frosting are finished; the bars need to rest before they can be frosted; and the frosting takes at least 10 minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer on high speed before it is cold and fluffy enough to spread over the bars.  I even placed the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for about a half an hour to allow it to set a little more.

But the time and effort required for these pumpkin caramel bars are definitely worth it as soon as you take that first bite!  So don't be scared....try them out!

Pumpkin Bar Ingredients

Caramel Frosting Ingredients (water not pictured)

Pumpkin Bar Batter

Baked Pumpkin Bars (pre frosting)

Caramel Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Caramel Frosting and Bacon

Pumpkin Bars (pre Emma's mouth)

Pumpkin Caramel Bars with Bacon
Bars:
8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Frosting
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup water
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
4oz cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

1.) Bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook bacon in a saute pan over medium heat until crisp; drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

2.) Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and table salt for the bars in a medium bowl, set aside.  Whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, egg, melted butter, bacon drippings and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended.  Stir in flour mixture and pecans.

3.) Spread pumpkin batter evenly into prepared pan, bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Let cool completely before frosting.

4.) Frosting: Boil 2 cups brown sugar, water and a pinch of salt for the frosting in a large saucepan over high heat, 5 minutes, swirling occasionally to prevent scorching.  Whisk in cream and butter pieces. (Mixture will bubble furiously; keep whisking).  Boil 2 minutes more.

5.) Transfer caramel to the bowl of a stand mixer; whip on high speed until sides of bowl are cool to the touch and caramel is thick, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Add cream cheese, one cube at a time, until frosting is smooth.

6.) Once bars are cooled, spread the caramel frosting evenly over the top, then sprinkle the bacon pieces over the frosting.