PUMPKIN BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting is a classic fall treat that everyone loves.

Fall means pumpkin bars

Every year when fall comes around, I start dreaming about pumpkin. Pumpkins are good for everything, aren’t they?!

They make amazing desserts, pies, soups, stews, breads, you name it. We have a favorite pumpkin bar recipe that I make every single year and have for many, many years now.

I always enjoy making them because they remind me of my grandma. They are the easiest and most delicious pumpkin bars I’ve ever eaten.

I’ve seen some seriously awesome pumpkin bars on the interwebs lately, many of them with toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted pepitas, fancy schmancy spice blends and more. They look truly amazing, but these pumpkin bars will never be outshined by anything else, no matter how gorgeous or complicated they may be.

These bars are easy to make, it’s a one-bowl recipe, and absolutely delicious. They’re unpretentious and perfect for fall.

They’re simple enough for an every day treat, yet show-stopping enough to take out for special occasions. One batch makes 24 to 30 bars.

Trust me when I tell you, you’re going to want more than just a couple of these!!

WHY THIS SWEET RECIPE WORKS

• All ingredients are mixed together in one bowl, with no stand mixer necessary.
• A can of pumpkin adds lots of flavor, moisture, color, and natural sweetness without needing to have a ton of spices on hand.
• The bars are made in a jelly roll pan, they’ll be nice and thin and cook through perfectly.
• Cream cheese frosting adds a rich, delicious flavor without being overly sweet.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

• Use a jelly roll pan (10 x 15) for these bars. Trust me on this one. These bars need to be nice and thin to ensure that they’ll cook all the way through, they’ll be done evenly with no raw spots in the middle and no burnt edges. You could make these in a 9 x 13 baking dish, but I promise they’ll be way too thick. Jelly roll pans are inexpensive and worth having on hand, use them for cookies, sheet cakes, roasted veggies, you name it.
• Vegetable oil keeps these moist, using butter will result in a more compact, drier crumb once it’s out of the fridge.
• Two cups of powdered sugar is necessary here. We want the frosting to be nice and sturdy so that the bars will cut perfectly and can be stacked without smearing.

Important note: Make sure your bars are COMPLETELY cooled before frosting. If you’re feeling lazy or in a rush and frost them warm, your frosting will melt into the bars and leave just a thin layer of frosting.

Plan on leaving bars out for at least 45 minutes, less if you put them in the refrigerator.

Remember, you want bars that are moist and DENSE so you can pick them up with your hands and enjoy. If you’re looking for a fluffier pumpkin cake to serve on a plate, this is not it 🙂

FOR THE PUMPKIN BARS:

• 1 2/3 cups sugar. The frosting is pretty sweet and I think this helps balance it out
• 1 cup vegetable oil. I know it seems like a lot. The bars NEED the oil to stay moist. You cannot substitute this with melted butter. This is what helps them stay moist for DAYS.
• 4 large eggs (standard egg size)
• 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled. Spoon and level helps prevent adding too much flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon. You can add some nutmeg and ginger, I usually add 1/4 tsp of each, but pumpkin bars are best with just cinnamon so the pumpkin shines.
• 1 can (15 oz) of PUMPKIN PUREE. This is NOT pumpkin pie filling, look for puree. My favorite brand that never disappoints is Libby’s

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz), softened to room temp, make sure it’s not light or whipped, it needs to be regular or else frosting won’t be stiff
• 1 stick of butter (4 oz), softened to room temp
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy, I recommend adding it in increments.
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cream cheese and butter: Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature. You can leave these out for 30 minutes on the counter.

If you try to make the frosting with cold ingredients, your frosting will be full of lumps no matter how long you beat it.

Sugar: There’s a lot of sugar in this recipe because bars need it. You can reduce the amount of sugar, if needed.

Eggs: We need eggs for texture and structure. This is what helps them slice so pretty.

Use standard, large eggs.

Flour: Just plain ol’ AP flour will do. Spoon and level is important with flour to ensure you’re not over-measuring.

Pumpkin puree: You’ll need ONE 15 oz can of pumpkin. Make sure it’s pumpkin PUREE and NOT pumpkin pie filling.

You can find this in the baking aisle. My favorite brand that never disappoints is Libby’s.

Baking Powder and baking soda: The bars won’t rise much, which is exactly what you want. Just enough rise to make them not too dense but not too cakey 🙂

Spices: Pumpkin bars are best with a touch of cinnamon, allowing the pumpkin to take center stage 🙂 Add more spices as preferred. I sometimes add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground ginger.

Oil: You can’t sub this for melted butter. It’s what keeps them moist.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

STEP 1: PREP THE PAN AND PREHEAT

Line a 10×15 jelly roll pan with parchment and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Generously spray the pan or parchment with cooking spray.

STEP 2: MIX THE BATTER

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, veggie oil, and eggs until glossy, smooth, and somewhat thickened. Stir in the pumpkin until combined, as the batter will take on a nice orange color.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined, leaving no more white streaks and an even color.

Be careful not to stir too much, because we don’t want to develop any gluten here. The batter will be thick, but pourable.

Pour into prepared pan. Use a spoon or spatula to spread the batter out in an even layer, because we want an even thickness so they’ll bake evenly.

STEP 3: BAKE

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 20 minutes.

The bars will be done when the top looks set and not shiny, the edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick comes out of the center of the pan clean. Be sure to remove from the oven promptly, because they’ll go from done to overbaked/dry very quickly after 25 minutes.

STEP 4: COOL COMPLETELY

Cool on wire rack for 45 to 60 minutes.

**Do not add frosting while bars are still warm.** The frosting will melt right off and result in a thinner, glossier layer. If you are impatient (like me), you can pop the pan of bars once they are no longer hot into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

Trust me, you’ll be so glad you waited!!

STEP 5: MAKE THE FROSTING

In a medium bowl, add warmed cream cheese and butter. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to combine.

Mix until fluffy and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and continue to mix.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until combined. Increase speed back up to medium/high and continue to mix until smooth and creamy and starts to form a soft peak when you lift the beaters.

Spread over completely cooled pumpkin bars. Remove whole sheet cake by lifting out by the parchment and transfer to cutting board.

Slice into bars. Serve!

If your frosting is too stiff, loosen it with a tsp of milk. If it’s too soft to hold together when spread, as it should be thicker than a glaze, add more powdered sugar.

You don’t want your frosting to be so thick, however, that it will tear the bar when spreading.

STEP 6: FROST AND CUT

Generously frost the bars, making sure to go all the way to the edges. Using a sharp knife, cut 5 lines on the long side, then 4 on the other side for 30 bars.

EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES THIS EASIER

• 10×15 Jelly Roll Pan

I use this 10×15 Nordic Ware jelly roll pan for sheet pan desserts like these. It’s made of aluminum, which distributes heat very well and produces consistent results.

Plus, bars and cakes slide right out.

HELPFUL TIPS

• Bars are so high in sugar they can be prone to sticking, so I’d highly recommend using a pan that releases food easily, like my jelly roll pan linked above, and/or using a generous amount of pan spray. You can line the pan with parchment paper but it’s not required.
• Check bars for doneness. Bars should be done in about 20 minutes, but ovens vary. Insert a toothpick in the center of the pan, and it should come out clean. It’s better to pull them out a little early than overbake, since overbaked bars equal dry bars.
• If you have a hand mixer, use it. You’ll be able to whip up fluffy, smooth frosting in 2 minutes flat.

COMMON MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

• Dense, sticky bars: This can happen when bars are underbaked or you pack your flour instead of properly measuring it using my spoon-and-level method.
• Lumpy frosting: Using cream cheese straight out of the refrigerator can cause your frosting to turn out lumpy. To fix this, set the frosting over a bowl of warm water for 30 seconds and stir again. If needed, pass frosting through a fine mesh sieve. You can also avoid this problem altogether by using room-temperature cream cheese.
• Difficult frosting: Believe me when I say a larger offset spatula, like this 9 inch one, is worth its weight in gold for sheet-pan baking. It’s SO much easier to spread frosting with an offset spatula instead of a standard-sized spatula or butter knife.

EASY UPGRADES

Spices: As written, this recipe just calls for cinnamon which gives these bars a milder spice flavor. If you’re looking for something with a little more spice, I’d add ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a small pinch of clove.

Or, feel free to use 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the bars before frosting them for an added dimension of flavor and texture. Add a teeny tiny pinch of kosher salt to the frosting.

Salt takes the edge off overly sweet flavors.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT PAN?

This recipe was developed using a 10×15 pan. If you choose to use a different sized pan, keep in mind you may need to adjust the baking time accordingly.

If you choose to use a 9×13, the bars will be a little thicker and more cakey. They will likely need an additional 30-35 minutes to bake.

If you choose to use a half sheet pan (13×18), they’ll be a bit thinner and cook more quickly. Keep an eye on these, they’ll likely be done at around 15 minutes.

Either way, if you choose to use a pan other than what’s written, I’d be sure to keep an eye on them.

CAN I SKIP THE FROSTING?

Sure! These bars are fine without it or with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

However, the frosting is what makes these bars so amazing so I highly recommend giving them a try.

CAN I MAKE THESE GLUTEN-FREE?

Sure, I’ve had success making these with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour. They were a little on the dense side, but still should have great flavor.

STORAGE, MAKE-AHEAD, AND LEFTOVERS

HOW TO STORE PUMPKIN BARS

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin bars should be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in an airtight container (or cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap).

They’ll keep for up to 5 days.

CAN YOU MAKE THESE AHEAD?

Absolutely. Keep the frosted pumpkin bars covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Let them sit out of the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before serving. While you CAN serve them right out of the refrigerator, I find they’re best when they’re not ice cold.

The frosting will soften up a bit and the bars will be a bit more tender.

These pumpkin bars are best stored refrigerated. In fact, I think their flavor is even better and they’re easier to slice into neat bars after chilling for a day.

So you can easily make these pumpkin bars a day ahead of time, frost, cover, refrigerate, and pull them out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve.

CAN YOU FREEZE PUMPKIN BARS?

Absolutely. However, I’d recommend freezing them BEFORE adding the cream cheese frosting.

You can bake the pumpkin bars and let them cool completely on the jelly roll pan. Wrap the entire jelly roll pan tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil and freeze for up to 2 months.

Two days before serving, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw. Once thawed, frost, serve, and enjoy.

If you’re going to freeze them WITH the frosting, be aware that the frosting may be a tad softer and slightly grainy after thawing. To do so, frost, then chill until the frosting is very firm.

Turn out and freeze on a cutting board until the frosting is very firm. You can stack the bars in a storage container, separating each layer with parchment paper if you need to save some freezer space.

Again, the bars will keep in the freezer. When ready to serve, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw.

SERVING IDEAS

Rich, decadent cream cheese frosting begs to be paired with a cup of warm apple cider, a cup of coffee, or any other hot, acidic, or bitter beverage that cuts through the sweetness of the frosting. You can also dust the cream cheese frosting with cinnamon for beautiful presentation and a little extra pumpkin-spiced flavor.

Tip for Parties & Potlucks: It’s easiest to bring the bars to parties & potlucks still in the pan they were baked in. Not only will this make your job as a host easier, it’ll help the pumpkin bars maintain their shape.

Cut into bars once you’re at your destination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I HAVE TO USE A JELLY ROLL PAN?

I’ve found that using a 10×15 jelly roll pan creates the most delicious, perfectly sized, thin, and evenly-baked pumpkin bars. If you don’t own a jelly roll pan and use a standard 9×13 pan, they’ll be thicker and will likely take a little longer to bake.

Keep in mind that texture will be different.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling?

No! Pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin plus sugar, spices, and sometimes other ingredients.

Using it will throw off the balance of spices and make the bars too sweet. Look for cans labeled 100% pumpkin or pumpkin puree only.

Why is my frosting runny?

Have you made sure the bars are completely cooled before frosting them?

Also, it’s important that your butter and cream cheese are softened, but NOT melted. If the frosting is runny once it’s on the pumpkin bars, refrigerate the whole pan for about 30 minutes to firm up.

If it’s runny in the bowl, add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time until thickened.

How do I know when they’re done baking?

It should pass the toothpick test, meaning when you insert a toothpick in the center of the pan, it comes out either clean or with only a few crumbs attached. Also, the tops of the bars will be shiny when they’re not done and will appear more set when they are.

The edges will start to pull away from the sides of the pan. They will not brown much because of the moisture in the bars.

Can I double the recipe?

You can, but use two 10×15 pans to bake them. If you try to bake them all in one pan they’ll be too thick to bake through.

You can bake the pans separately or bake them on the same day by placing them on two racks in the oven. Just be sure to rotate them halfway through.

Can I make pumpkin bars ahead of time?

The bars will keep covered and refrigerated up to 2 days after frosting. You can also freeze them BEFORE frosting and frost them right before serving.

If you freeze them, move them from the freezer to the refrigerator a day ahead to thaw. Then frost with fresh frosting before serving.

RELATED RECIPES

Love these bars? Try one of these delicious recipes next time you’re craving something for a fall dessert:

• Easy Pumpkin Bread, use up that open can of pumpkin puree. This is a super-easy one-bowl pumpkin loaf.