These Pumpkin Bars are moist and flavorful, with pumpkin puree and hints of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves, topped with a four-ingredient cream cheese frosting.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Oil: Vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil.
- Vanilla extract: Use the pure stuff, please.
- Cream cheese: Use the full-fat block-style cream cheese
- Butter: Unsalted or salted butter.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
How To Make Pumpkin Bars
This is a summary; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, stir the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into a well-greased and floured small sheet pan.
- Bake until set and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth and well combined. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low. Add a little more powdered sugar if needed for a thicker consistency.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and sprinkle with jimmies. Refrigerate the bars.
Baking Tips For Success
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick baking spray.
- I use a Nordic Ware Natural Jelly Roll Pan. It is perfect for these bars and my peanut butter cake.
- Bake just until set. You can use the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick in the center of the bars. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter, they’re ready.
- Soften both the cream cheese and butter before you start to ensure a smooth, creamy, lump-free texture.
- Take the time to let the cream cheese beat until it is lump-free. This can take a couple of minutes, or up to 5 minutes when you add the butter.
More Pumpkin Treats
- Pumpkin Pie Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Bars
These Pumpkin Pie Bars are moist and flavorful, with pumpkin puree and hints of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves, topped with a four-ingredient cream cheese frosting.
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Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 244kcal
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat block-style cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick baking spray.
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, stir the pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes or until set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low. Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and sprinkle with jimmies or sprinkles. Refrigerate the bars.
Notes
- Store the bars well covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze without the cream cheese frosting for up to 3 months. Wrap in a couple of layers of plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Prepare the frosting and frost before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
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