Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

These Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting were a total last-minute creation during last year when my original bake sale dessert didn’t go as planned. With just two hours to figure something out, I grabbed a can of pumpkin puree from the pantry and some cream cheese from the fridge, crossed my fingers, and got to work. The result? Soft, perfectly spiced bars with a rich, creamy frosting that disappeared from the table faster than anything else.

The bars were gone in fifteen minutes flat, with three moms asking for the recipe before I even finished setting up my table. Now they’re my secret weapon for every fall gathering, potluck, and “what can I bring?” moment. Simple ingredients, zero fancy techniques, and results that make people think you spent all day in the kitchen.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My kids call these “the bars that taste like fall feelings.” They’re soft, spiced perfectly, and stay moist for days (if they last that long). The one-bowl method means less cleanup, which is huge when you’re already juggling a million things. Plus, that cream cheese frosting cuts through all the sweetness just right – it’s like eating a cloud that tastes like autumn.

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📝 Ingredient List

For the Pumpkin Bars:

• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
• 4 large eggs
• 1⅔ 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)

🔍 Why These Ingredients Work

That pumpkin puree from the can isn’t just convenient – it’s consistent. Fresh pumpkin can be watery or stringy, but canned gives you the same results every time. I learned this after a batch turned out soggy because my homemade puree had too much moisture.

The oil instead of butter keeps these bars soft even when they’re cold. Butter hardens up in the fridge, but oil stays liquid, so your bars never get tough or dry. I discovered this trick after wondering why my bars were always better the next day.

Those two leavening agents work as a team. Baking powder gives you lift, baking soda neutralizes the acid in pumpkin so you don’t get any weird aftertaste. Skip either one and your bars will be dense or have an off flavor.

The cream cheese frosting needs to be tangy to balance out all that sweetness. Regular vanilla frosting would be too much sugar overload. That slight tartness from the cream cheese makes everything taste more complex and grown-up.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Wire whisk
• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Electric mixer (for frosting)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Rubber spatula
• Toothpick for testing doneness

👩🍳

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.

Tips from Well-Known Chefs

Ina Garten says room temperature ingredients mix better. She’s right – cold cream cheese makes lumpy frosting every time. I take mine out about an hour before I need it.

❗ You Must Know

Don’t frost hot bars! I’ve messed this up so many times. The frosting just melts into a sugary puddle and you feel like an idiot. Let them cool completely, even if it takes forever.

Personal Secret: I always taste my cream cheese frosting before adding all the powdered sugar. Sometimes two cups is plenty, other times you need the full three. It depends on how soft your cream cheese was and how sweet you want it. Start with less and add more – you can’t take it back once it’s in there!

💡 Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Room temperature eggs mix easier and don’t shock your batter into lumps
• Don’t overmix – stir just until you can’t see dry flour anymore
• Parchment paper is your friend – makes cutting clean squares so much easier
• Sift that powdered sugar or you’ll have lumpy frosting no matter how much you beat it
• Use a pizza cutter to slice bars evenly without dragging the frosting

Common Mistakes I’ve Made:

• Buying pumpkin pie filling instead of plain puree (too sweet and already spiced)
• Overbaking because I was scared of underdone bars (they keep cooking as they cool)
• Frosting warm bars and watching it all melt off (learned this one the hard way)

🎨 Flavor Variations & Suggestions

For chocolate fans: Toss in ½ cup mini chocolate chips. My youngest son asks for these every time.

Add crunch: Chopped walnuts or pecans work great. About ½ cup mixed into the batter.

Maple version: Use maple extract instead of vanilla in the frosting. Add a tiny drizzle of real maple syrup if you’re feeling fancy.

Healthier option: Replace half the oil with applesauce. They’re not quite as moist but still good.

More spice: Add ground ginger or a pinch of cardamom. My neighbor does this and swears it’s better.

⏲️ Make-Ahead Options

You can make the bars two days ahead and keep them covered on the counter. Don’t frost them until you’re ready to serve. The frosting can be made the day before – just stick it in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before you use it.

For longer storage, wrap the unfrosted bars tight in plastic wrap and freeze them. They’ll keep for three months. Just thaw them out completely before frosting.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

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.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

These bars are perfect for when you need something that looks fancy but wasn’t a huge hassle. I’ve brought them to everything from church potlucks to book club meetings. They’re especially good with black coffee – the bitterness plays off the sweetness really well.

For parties, I sometimes cut them smaller and put them on a nice platter with some fall leaves around the edges. People always think I spent way more time than I actually did. They’re also great for lunch boxes, though my kids usually eat them for breakfast when they think I’m not looking.

These bars have honestly become my fall lifesaver – they’ve gotten me through countless last-minute dessert emergencies and made me look like a baking hero when I definitely didn’t feel like one. I hope they become your go-to rescue recipe too! 🍂

🧊 How to Store Your Pumpkin Bars

Keep frosted bars in the fridge for up to three days. Cover them with plastic wrap or put them in a container with a lid. Let them sit out for 10-15 minutes before serving so they’re not ice cold.

You can freeze both frosted and unfrosted bars for up to three months. Wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or leave them on the counter for an hour.

⚠️ Allergy Information

These contain: Eggs, dairy (cream cheese, butter), gluten (wheat flour)

Dairy-free: Use vegan cream cheese and butter for the frosting Gluten-free: Try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend Egg-free: Make flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg, let it sit for 5 minutes)

❓ Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?

Yes, but it’s more work. You need about 1¾ cups of pumpkin puree. Roast pumpkin halves at 400°F until they’re soft, then scoop out the flesh and puree it smooth.

Why did my bars turn out dense?

Usually from mixing too much or using too much flour. Just stir until you can’t see dry flour anymore. And spoon flour into the measuring cup, don’t pack it.

Do I have to frost them?

Nope! They’re good plain or with just some powdered sugar dusted on top. Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream works too.

How do I know they’re done?

Stick a toothpick in the center. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs. The edges should look set and pull away from the pan slightly.

Can I make double?

Sure, use two 9×13 pans or one big sheet pan. Might need a few extra minutes in the oven.

💬 Made these bars? Tell me how they turned out! I love hearing about your baking adventures, especially if you tried any of my variations. Drop a comment below and let me know if they disappeared as fast as mine always do!