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These pumpkin bars are super easy, so quick, and UNBELIEVABLY delicious! They're moist and fluffy, and the cream cheese frosting complements the pumpkin perfectly. These will quickly become a favorite fall dessert in your household!
About
These pumpkin bars are everything great about fall in a dessert. They're my Aunt Sue's recipe, and they're what my family brings to EVERY party in the fall.
They consist of a full can of pumpkin in a cake-like batter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a cream cheese frosting that is OUT OF THIS WORLD.
The result? A perfectly fluffy and light, ultra-tasty, and perfectly balanced fall dessert.
Star Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree
Everyone's favorite fall ingredient, pumpkin is the true star of this dish. Complemented perfectly by the cinnamon and in a batter that results in a lighter-than-air cake, the full can of pumpkin really shines.
Fun fact: you can make your own pumpkin puree! I don't, usually, because it's difficult to ensure consistency from batch to batch. But if you want to, GIRL, go for it! More power to you! See this link for Pioneer Woman's recipe.
Cream Cheese
The other main ingredient of this dessert is the cream cheese frosting. I don't know what it is, but something about the pairing of a fluffy pumpkin cake and cream cheese frosting is beyond wonderful.
This frosting recipe is a touch more tangy than my other cream cheese frosting, and for good reason! It complements the sweetness of the cake so well, so you're left with pumpkin bars that aren't overly sweet. AMEN.
Instructions
Prep.
- Preheat the oven to 325, and grease an 18x13 jellyroll pan. The pan probably looks huge, but that's another awesome thing about this recipe. The batter is spread thin, so it makes "bars" that have the perfect cake-to-frosting ratio!
Make the Batter.
- Beat the eggs until well-mixed.
- Then combine the eggs, pumpkin, and melted butter in a bowl. Mix until fully combined.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into a separate bowl. Sifting is SUPER important here! It helps to make sure that there aren't any big clumps of flour or anything in the batter.
- However, sometimes clumps remain, so DON'T worry if you see a few clumps in the final batter. It happens, and it'll still taste perfect 🙂
- In 3 installments, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. The reason you pour it in 3 installments is to give it time to mix in slowly, and, again, avoid clumps of flour in the batter.
- Pour batter into greased jellyroll pan.
Bake.
- Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This usually takes me 25 minutes on the dot, but could take more or less depending on your oven. Be sure to use the toothpick to test it out!
- Allow the bars to cool before frosting. This ensures the frosting doesn't melt!
Make the frosting.
- With a hand or stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until fully combined.
- Be 100% positive that both your cream cheese and butter are at room temp before you start making the frosting, otherwise they'll clump! If they're still cool to the touch, put them on a plate in the microwave and microwave 7 seconds, rotate the cream cheese/butter, then microwave for 7 seconds again. Do this until they're soft and no longer cool (it usually takes me 3-4 times when they're coming straight from the fridge).
- Sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth. I may sound like a broken record, but it's super important to sift the powdered sugar in. If you don't, you may have lumps in your frosting! Now, of course, it'll still taste delicious if there are lumps, but we want that picture-perfect pumpkin bar 🙂
- Add the milk and vanilla and stir until smooth. It may be a little more loose than you're used to in frostings- this is totally normal! This helps it spread well across the giant jelly roll pan.
Frost.
- Once the bars are cooled, spread the frosting on top of the bars in a thin layer. YUUUUUUUUUM.
- Cut the bars, and serve! Enjoy incessantly.
Notes
Make it ahead of time: These can definitely be made ahead of time! They'll last for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Storage: Frosted, these can be left at room temperature for 2 hours, but should be refrigerated if kept longer than 2 hours.
When to make this recipe: This is a STAPLE fall recipe in our household, and I think it'll be in yours too 🙂 Of course, you can make it at any time of year, but it really hits the spot when the leaves are turning, pumpkin spice lattes make their appearance, and the weather chills off.
Other Recipes You'll Love:
Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 15 oz can of pumpkin
- ¾ cups unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
Prep.
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Grease an 18x13 jellyroll pan.
Make the batter.
- Beat the eggs until well-mixed.
- Combine eggs, pumpkin, and melted butter in a bowl.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into a separate bowl.
- In 3 installments, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.
- Pour batter into greased jellyroll pan.
Bake.
- Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before frosting.
Make the frosting.
- With a hand or stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until fully combined.
- Sift in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until smooth.
- Add the milk and vanilla and stir until smooth.
Frost.
- Once the bars are cooled, spread the frosting on top of the bars in a thin layer.
- Cut the bars, and serve!
Bon appetit!
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make these pumpkin bars? I want to know! Post it on social media, tag @battersandblessings, and add #battersandblessings so I can see your creation 🙂
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