1-First Steps: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, spraying it liberally with cooking spray to prevent sticking. This setup ensures your pumpkin toffee bars come out cleanly and helps with easy removal later.

2-Mixing the Batter: In a large bowl, combine 1 box yellow cake mix (about 15.25 ounces), 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until the batter is sticky and gooey. Use a stand mixer if available to make this step quicker and less messy.

3-Layering the Bars: Spray your hands with cooking spray to handle the sticky batter easily, then press half of it evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup toffee bits over this layer for that signature toffee bars crunch.

4-Adding the Top Layer: Pour 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk evenly over the nuts and toffee bits to create a gooey center. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top, then gently press it into an even layer using sprayed hands.

5-Baking and Cooling: Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes until they’re golden around the edges, then let them cool completely. For the best results, refrigerate for a few hours to make slicing easier and to enhance the texture of these pumpkin bars with spiced crust.