Easy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Easy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1½ cups sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 15 ounce can pumpkin; 1 cup vegetable oil; 4 large eggs (beaten); 6 oz cream cheese (softened at room temperature); 6 tablespoons butter (softened at room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; 3 cups powdered sugar

Posted by Dee

5 from 2 votes

Sep 03, 2024

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This easy recipe for pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting makes a delicious fall dessert perfect for family gatherings or a sweet treat anytime!

pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting on fall table.

Easy Pumpkin Bar Recipe

Looking for an easy dessert for fall? Love all things pumpkin? You’ll definitely want to make this homemade pumpkin bars recipe. Unlike other pumpkin bar recipes, these bars aren’t overly sweet. In fact, they get most of the sweetness and a hint of fall spice from the delicious cream cheese frosting.

This pumpkin dessert is perfect for fall potlucks or Thanksgiving. Or, you can do what we do and make a batch on the weekend to enjoy for a quick treat during the week. My family loves them! For more pumpkin desserts, try my pumpkin cheesecake bars and easy pumpkin pie dip or pumpkin cheesecake pie next!

flour, canned pumpkin, eggs, spices, cream cheese, oil, butter, sugar, vanilla, baking powder.

Ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients you need to make these easy pumpkin bars. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

All purpose flour
Sugar — to sweeten the batter
Canned pumpkin — not pumpkin pie filling
Oil — to moisten the batter. You can sub butter, but the bars won’t stay as soft in the fridge.
Baking powder and baking soda — to help the bars rise
Eggs — large eggs
Vanilla — to flavor the frosting
Spices — salt, pumpkin pie spices, nutmeg, cinnamon
Cream cheese — room temperature for easy mixing
Butter — I use salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine
Powdered sugar — to sweeten the frosting

How to Make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

First, add your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Then add eggs and wet ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix with an electric mixer until just combined.

mix pumpkin and other ingredients with electric mixer in large bowl.

I like to line the baking pan with parchment paper so the bars can be easily removed for slicing. It’s not necessary though, and you can grease a pan with butter or non stick spray if you like.

Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You’ll need to let the bars cool completely before you frost them. To make the frosting, just mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Then, spread the frosting evenly over the pumpkin bars. An offset spatula works perfectly for this!

We like to add some colorful fall sprinkles on top of the frosting. You can use marshmallow pumpkins or a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon to keep it simple. Carefully lift the pumpkin cake out of the pan, and slice into 24 bars.

Storage

Store the pumpkin bars in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 5-6 days. You can freeze the unfrosted bars for up to 3 months and frost them after they have been thawed.

Recipe Tip

Be sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling as that has added ingredients that will affect the flavor.

Let the cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature for easier mixing.

Parchment paper makes it easier to remove the bars for serving. You can use non stick spray or butter to grease the pan if you prefer.

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