Sourdough Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars
These sourdough pumpkin oatmeal cookie bars are fluffy, soft, and topped with pumpkin spice maple icing. Made with sourdough discard and pumpkin puree, these easy fall cookie bars are perfect for a crowd!
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Cookie Bars
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 & ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups quick oats (rolled oats)
Pumpkin Spice Maple Icing
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ½-1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
Sourdough Pumpkin Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a 9×13 glass baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add vanilla extract, molasses, egg, sourdough discard, and pumpkin puree. Mix to combine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add salt, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Add flour and scrape down the sides of the bowl to combine. Add the oats and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to spread evenly to the edges and corners.
- Bake at 350℉ (177℃) for 22-24 minutes until browned all over and the middle is mostly set when you gently shake the pan. See note about baking time and testing doneness.
Key tip: Don't over bake! The secret to soft, chewy cookie bars is to slightly underbake them.
Pumpkin Spice Maple Icing
- When cookie bars are cool, make the icing by combining the pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and ½ Tablespoon (1 & ½ teaspoons) milk. If you want the icing thinner, add a little bit more milk. If the icing gets too runny, add more powdered sugar to thicken it to your desired consistency.
- Spoon the icing onto cooled cookie bars and spread evenly. Cut the cookie bars before the icing cools and hardens to avoid cracks, see note. After slicing, allow the icing to cool and harden before serving.
Notes
- Pumpkin - Use pumpkin puree from a can for this recipe.
- Oats - Using quick oats for this recipe makes the bars softer and fluffier. You can use old fashioned oats as well, but pulse them in a blender or food processor first to break them up.
- Molasses - Do not use blackstrap molasses for this recipe or your cookie bars may be bitter. Use light or dark molasses for baking. Grandma's Original Unsulphered Molasses is a good brand to use.
- Baking - The cookie bars will get very brown all over from the molasses. It's not burnt, it just needs to be browned and the center not jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- To Slice - To cut cookie bars so the icing stays smooth and doesn't crack, slice them before the icing dries. Spoon on the icing and spread evenly. Use a large sharp knife to slice the cookie bars into squares, running the knife under warm water and drying with a clean dish towel between slices.
- To Make Ahead - If wanting to serve these cookie bars the next day, don't add the icing right away or it will start to soak into the bars overnight. Make the cookie bars and allow to fully cool and cover the pan with plastic wrap. The next day add the icing and slice the bars, allowing the icing to harden before serving. This makes sure you're serving fresh, beautiful cookie bars!