Pumpkin Bars Recipe
This Pumpkin Bars Recipe is moist, cake-like, perfectly spiced, and topped with a cinnamon-cream cheese frosting that makes them an irresistible treat!
Servings: 25 bars
Cost: $7.12
Equipment
- Jelly-roll pan 10 x 15-inch
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice see note 1
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10x15-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Set out butter and cream cheese to soften.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Add wet ingredients to dry. Beat with a hand mixer until just combined. Avoid over-mixing.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 27–33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
- In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing at low speed, until combined. Add salt, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until frosting is soft and creamy.
- Once bars are fully cooled, spread frosting evenly over the top. Lift bars from the pan using the parchment overhang, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
Note 1: This spice blend includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. You can buy it or make your own.
Storage: Store frosted bars in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 week. To freeze unfrosted bars, wrap each piece in plastic and place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour. Don’t freeze the cream cheese frosting—it can get watery.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 2804IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg