Description
Soft, spiced pumpkin bars topped with rich cream cheese frosting. Made in one bowl with simple ingredients, these bars are perfect for fall gatherings and holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
- 4 large eggs
- 1â…” cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute with avocado or another neutral oil)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (depending on desired sweetness and thickness)
Instructions
1. Get Your Oven Ready (5 minutes) Heat it to 350°F and grease your 9×13 pan. I just use butter and rub it around with a paper towel. Parchment paper is nice but not necessary if you grease well.
2. Mix the Wet Stuff (3 minutes) Crack your eggs into a big bowl and whisk them up. Add sugar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla. Keep whisking until it’s smooth. This takes longer than you think – maybe 2-3 minutes of actual whisking.
3. Deal with the Dry Stuff (2 minutes) In another bowl, dump in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk it around so everything’s mixed up evenly.
4. Combine Everything (2 minutes) Pour the flour mixture into the wet stuff. Stir it just enough to combine – don’t go crazy with the mixing. A few lumps are fine, really.
5. Bake It (30-35 minutes) Scrape the batter into your pan and spread it around. Stick it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick – it should come out mostly clean with a few wet crumbs.
6. Wait Forever (45 minutes) Let them cool completely. I know it’s torture, but if you frost them warm, the frosting will melt right off. I’ve done this about five times and never learn.
7. Make the Frosting (5 minutes) Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and about 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add more sugar if you want it thicker.
8. Frost and Cut Spread frosting on the cooled bars. Cut into squares. Try not to eat half the pan immediately.
Notes
Don’t panic if your bars look slightly underdone when you pull them out. They’ll firm up as they cool, and nobody wants dry, overbaked bars. The toothpick should have just a few moist crumbs – completely clean means they’re overdone.
My frosting sometimes looks curdled at first, especially if my cream cheese was too cold. Just keep beating it and it’ll smooth out. If it’s still lumpy after five minutes, your cream cheese wasn’t soft enough to start with.
Room temperature ingredients matter more than you think. Cold cream cheese makes lumpy frosting, cold eggs don’t mix well, and everything just works better when it’s all the same temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 385 per bar
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 285mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg