These Pumpkin Bars, topped off with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting, are full of flavor, moist, and perfect for fall. They will heat up your kitchen and have it smelling like a heavenly pumpkin patch!
Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting
Nothing screams fall like pumpkin and these delicious pumpkin bars and they are the perfect kick-off into the season of pumpkin everything. With just six steps to make the bars themselves and two steps to make the homemade cream cheese frosting, these bars are simple. This is a dessert that you’ll be coming back to again and again.
The pumpkin bars themselves are so moist and full of flavor. The pumpkin and cinnamon flavors come through just enough, but not too much to the point of being overbearing. They are topped off with a homemade cream cheese frosting that is the perfect creamy compliment to the pumpkin flavors.
Why We Love This Pumpkin Bars Recipe
- The homemade cream cheese frosting is amazing
- Super easy to make
- Ready in 35 minutes
- Soft and chewy bars
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bars and Cream Cheese Frosting
- all-purpose flour
- pumpkin pie spice
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- salt
- sugar
- vegetable oil
- pumpkin
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- cream cheese
- salted sweet cream butter
- powdered sugar
- milk
- clear vanilla flavoring
Substitutions and Additions
- Nuts: If you’d like to add a bit of crunch to your pumpkin bars, you can garnish them with nuts, by sprinkling them over top of the cream cheese frosting. I love to add pecans to mine!
- Cinnamon: I like to add a very light dusting of cinnamon to the top of my frosted pumpkin bars. It adds a nice appeal visually, and enhances the cinnamon flavor overall.
- Make it “spicier”: If you are wanting a “spicier” pumpkin pie bars, you can increase the pumpkin spice to 1 Tablespoon.
Tips
- You can overlap the parchment paper on the ends to aid in removing the bars, if you wish to remove the bars from the baking pan.
- If you wish, you can substitute the whole cup of vegetable oil with ½ cup applesauce and ½ cup vegetable oil.
- If you are wanting a “spicier” pumpkin pie bars, you can increase the pumpkin spice to 1 Tablespoon.
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How to Make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and salt.
- Beat together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, canned pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until the ingredients are combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.
- Evenly pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cream together the cream cheese, butter and clear vanilla flavoring.
- Slowly alternate the powdered sugar and milk. Mix until the frosting is smooth.
- Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze the bars before frosting for up to 3 months. Allow the bars to come to room temperature before frosting.
I can’t wait for you to add these pumpkin bars to your arsenal of fall desserts. They are so delicious. From the pumpkin flavor of the bars to the homemade cream cheese frosting, every bite is full of moist flavor. You are going to love these!
Other Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bar Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15 oz can pumpkin
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted sweet cream butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp clear vanilla flavoring
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350*. Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and salt. Set it aside.
- Using either a stand mixer, or a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, canned pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
- With the mixer speed on low, add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each egg.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Blend just until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Evenly pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the pumpkin bars to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter and clear vanilla flavoring for about 1 – 1 ½ minutes.
- Lower the mixer speed to low, slowly alternate the powdered sugar and milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the frosting is smooth.
- Using a silicone spatula, evenly spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars, and slice either 5 slices x 5 slices or 5 slices x 6 slices.
Jenn’s Notes
You can freeze the bars before frosting for up to 3 months. Allow the bars to
Come to room temperature before frosting. Tips:
- You can overlap the parchment paper on the ends to aid in removing the bars, if you wish to remove the bars from the baking pan.
- If you wish, you can substitute the whole cup of vegetable oil with ½ cup applesauce and ½ cup vegetable oil.
- If you are wanting a “spicier” pumpkin pie bars, you can increase the pumpkin spice to 1 Tablespoon.
