The long awaited picture tutorial is finally here! Please bear with me as these photos are not nearly as nice as Chex's.
I can't count how many times I had to redo the photos too. Unfortunately I do not have a nice camera with a macro setting. This
was just done with my phone. On a side note, I must say this is the least messy batch of pumpkin bars I have ever made. Enjoy!
What you will need:
• 1 box cake mix - yellow or white • 1 lb can pumpkin • 3 eggs • 3/4 cup butter • 3/4 cup sugar • 2/3 cup evaporated milk •
• 2 tsp cinnamon • ½ tsp vanilla • dash of allspice • dash of cloves • 9x13 baking dish •
1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Slightly grease a 9x13 baking dish
I normally just use Pam's butter flavor baking spray. This works extremely well. However, in this case I was completely out.
Instead I used one of the butter sticks and just lightly coated the bottom and edges. Sorry.. no picture.
3. Set aside 1 cup cake mix and pour the rest into a mixing bowl
A medium sized mixing bowl should be fine. I tend to use a deeper bowl because the pumpkin later on splashes quite easily.
4. Add 1 egg
5. Melt ½ cup butter and add to cake mix
I normally melt over stove top, but today I was lazy and quickly melted the butter in the microwave.
6. Mix well until there are no lumps
I do not recommend licking this! It does not taste as good as it looks. Lol
7. Once well mixed, pat into the slightly greased 9x13 baking dish
Baking and spreading spatulas work wonders. However, I thoroughly enjoy getting my hands dirty
and find it the easiest to get an even consistency throughout the entire dish. Doesn't need to be perfect!
8. In a clean or separate bowl, add 1 lb can pumpkin
9. Add 2 eggs
10. Add 3/4 cup sugar
11. Add 2/3 cup evaporated milk
12. Add ½ tsp vanilla
13. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, a dash of allspice, and a dash of cloves
14. Carefully mix all ingredients together
This is the part that can get real messy real quick, so take your time!
I have a terrible habit of splashing the pumpkin mixture all over, which is why I tend to use a deeper bowl than actually necessary.
15. Once carefully mixed, pour evenly into the baking dish
Or if you're anything like me, just say smurf it and dump it all. Then take a baking spatula and spread evenly throughout the dish.
16. In a small bowl, add the 1 cup cake mix you set aside
17. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and mix well
Technically you're supposed to add in the butter all together, but I find it a hell of a lot easier to get an even mixture.
18. Add ¼ soft butter and mix until crumbly
This part is a major pain in the princess sophia for me! This time around was probably my best job.
I highly recommend using a fork over anything else. Since the butter is thick and moist, it is easy to get giant clumps.
I would not stir like you normally would either. This can cause the butter to get too soft and the batch too mixed to the point you
do not have any crumblies. When that happens, you're totally screwed! Instead, try doing several quick motions of somewhat jabbing
the fork in the center and bringing it outward, all the while rotating the bowl. (If that makes any sense.)
If you managed to do it correctly, it should look like the image below.
19. Gently sprinkle the topping over the pumpkin
Make sure to go light! You do not need a very thick layer. There will be some pieces bigger than others,
but overall you want to try and get an even layer. It is better to start out thin so you know how much of
the topping it actually takes to cover a section. In the end, you should have something like this.
20. Carefully set the dish on the middle rack of the oven
Look at the pretty blue heat source! Oh yeah, and make sure it's in the center of course.
21. Let bake for 40-50 minutes and VOILA!
I typically will let it bake for about 45 minutes. Then I let it sit on a cookie sheet until the dish is warm enough to touch.
This dessert can be served warm or cold. Personally, I prefer to have it cold because it makes the bars more solid.
Once the dish is not too hot, place tin foil over the top and set it in the fridge for half an hour or so.
No canned pumpkin NOR cake mix?! If you PM me your address, I would be happy to send some! 
