Description
Get ready to fall in love with these moist, warmly spiced Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting—your new go-to for autumn baking! This easy recipe blends rich pumpkin puree with cozy spices and finishes with a thick, luscious layer of cream cheese frosting. Whether you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or a cozy weekend treat, this recipe delivers big on flavor and texture with minimal effort. Perfect for fans of quick breakfast ideas, easy dessert bars, or comforting food ideas, these bars are made to impress.
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and eggs until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined—do not overmix.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
8. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
9. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
10. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Add candy pumpkins or cinnamon if desired.
Notes
For clean slices, refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes before cutting.
You can prepare the bars a day ahead; just add frosting before serving for the freshest look.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg