These pumpkin bars are the best! They are a perfectly spiced pumpkin sheet cake topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. They’re so easy, so delicious, and one of the best pumpkin desserts you’ll ever have.
It’s officially October and I want all things apple or pumpkin every day till winter. I’m talking pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin rolls. And of course these pumpkin bars too. If you want the best easy fall dessert try this pumpkin dump cake.
These pumpkin bars are a classic pumpkin dessert. They’re a soft and moist pumpkin sheet cake, topped with cream cheese frosting. They’re so easy to make and one of the best pumpkin desserts ever!
I don’t know if you’re like me and wondering what’s the difference between pumpkin bars and pumpkin cake? Well I’m here to officially tell you, not much haha. But these pumpkin bars are baked in a 10×15 jelly roll pan (instead of a 9×13 pan). This makes them thinner, perfect for serving a crowd, and hand held.
You can totally serve the bars naked, or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar if you want to. But of course I had to top my pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, because who doesn’t love pumpkin and cream cheese together?! I made my frosting with brown butter, and added a little cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting though, and you won’t believe how much it adds a new delicious dimension to the frosting and the bars.
How to make Pumpkin Bars?
These pumpkin bars are so easy to make. They’re made in one bowl (except for the frosting you’ll need another) and the batter whips up in just a few minutes.
In a large bowl, combine your oil and granulated sugar. Then mix in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!!). Then add in the eggs until it’s all just combined.
Dump in the dry ingredients. You’ll need flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir it all together till you have a nice batter.
Then pour the batter into a greased (or lined) 10×15 baking pan (that’s a jelly roll pan). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean. Let them cool completely in the pan. Then cover them with the frosting.
How to make Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting?
Yes it’s a mouthful to say, but the frosting is really actually easy to make. You can skip browning the butter if you don’t want the extra step, but I definitely think it’s worth it.
So you’ll add 1 stick of butter to a medium sized pot. Heat it up over medium and allow it to melt, and bubble, and start to turn to a nice amber color. Remove it from the heat and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to cool.
Cream the cream cheese in a large bowl, with a stand mixer, or a hand mixer, until it’s smooth. Then add in the cooled but softened butter and mix for about 2 minutes till it’s nice and creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon, and stir it all together till you have a nice and fluffy frosting. Spread the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars. Add a dash of ground cinnamon, or festive sprinkles over the top to make them extra cute.
Tips for making Pumpkin Bars:
- You can sub 1/2 cup of applesauce for 1/2 cup of the oil in these bars to cut back on some of the fat. The texture may be slightly different, but should work fine.
- Make sure you are using pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has added ingredients making it seasoned, and thinner than pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling will not work the same in this recipe.
- Top the bars with powdered sugar if you don’t want to enjoy them with cream cheese frosting.
- Top the bars with fun fall colored sprinkles, or candy pumpkins to make them extra cute.
- You can also bake these bars in a 9×13 for a more cake like bar. Though of course that’s pretty much my pumpkin cake recipe anyway 😉
- These bars can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a lid. If you’re not going to serve them all up right away, only cut out the pieces as needed to keep the pieces from drying out.
These pumpkin bars are so soft and moist. They’re perfectly spiced and have the best pumpkin flavor in every bite. Paired with the spiced cream cheese frosting they’re sure to be a winner – and definitely going to be one of your new fall favorite desserts!
Looking for more Pumpkin Dessert Recipes?
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Pumpkin Cake with Cake Mix
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Better than Sex Cupcakes
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Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil, or coconut oil)
- 1 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 TBS ground cinnamon
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 10x15 jelly pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar until well combined.
- Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, and stir till smooth.
- Add in the eggs, and stir until it's all just combined.
- Dump in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
- Stir it all together till you have a nice batter. Some lumps are okay.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 22-30 minutes (mine took 25), until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a medium pot, add your butter, and heat over medium.
- Let the butter continue cooking, stirring often as it melts. Then it will bubble and foam.
- Scrape the sides and watch closely, stirring often as it gets a nutty smell and starts to turn an amber color.
- Remove from the heat and pour it into a separate bowl. Let it sit for about 1 hour while the cake cools.
- In a large bowl beat your cream cheese till it's nice and smooth.
- Add in the butter and mix it with the cream cheese over medium speed, for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Stir it all together till the frosting is nice and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled bars.
- Refrigerate the bars for about 30 minutes, then slice them up and serve.
karen Carr says
Amazing!! Think these are my new favorite dessert. Made for a neighborhood get together & it was the perfect size & amount. Next I’m keeping them for myself.