Description
These Sweet Potato Pie Bars with a buttery shortbread crust are a delightful twist on the classic sweet potato pie, perfect for dessert or a special treat. The smooth, spiced sweet potato filling is blended to creamy perfection, baked over a crisp, golden shortbread base, and chilled until set for easy slicing and serving.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweet Potato Filling
- 1 3/4 cup cooked sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato or 375g)
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Shortbread Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to lift the bars out easily later. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and softened unsalted butter. Mix these together until a soft dough forms.
- Bake the Crust: Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges turn lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Cook the Sweet Potato: If not already cooked, bake your sweet potato at 400°F (204°C) for about 55 minutes until tender. Let it cool slightly, then peel and cut into chunks to measure 1 3/4 cups.
- Make the Sweet Potato Filling: Add the cooked sweet potato chunks, brown sugar, granulated sugar, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves), cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and evaporated milk into a blender. Blend or pulse until smooth and fully combined. Then add the eggs and egg yolk last and pulse a few more times until everything is incorporated.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the sweet potato filling over the hot shortbread crust. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 37 minutes. The edges should be set while the center remains slightly jiggly. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean. Begin checking at 30 minutes and then every 2 minutes after.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pie bars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set properly. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars from the pan, cut into squares, and serve. These bars are delicious garnished with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- Make sure to pre-bake the crust to ensure it remains crisp under the moist filling.
- Use a blender to get a perfectly smooth filling texture.
- Allow the bars to chill well for easy cutting and clean slices.
- Spices can be adjusted to taste – feel free to increase cinnamon or ginger for more warmth.
- Sweet potatoes can be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato pie bars, shortbread crust, sweet potato dessert, fall dessert, holiday dessert, baked sweet potato bars
