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Spiced Pumpkin Bars are topped with cream cheese frosting to create the perfect Fall dessert.
Hello, November!
I can’t believe I am admitting this publicly, but I am sitting at my kitchen island with the smell of banana bread wafting through the air while I’m completely surrounded by Christmas bins.
Yep, we’ve started decorating for Christmas. Now before you tell me I’ve skipped Thanksgiving, or I’m all kinds of ridiculous, hear me out.
We’re actually leaving for vacation this month and I have zero desire to rush around trying to get the house ready once we’re back, so we’re those people with a leg lamp in our front window on November 4th.
I promise, I’m not going to bombard you with peppermint and cookie recipes just yet because I’ve got a few more pumpkin recipes on my agenda just like these delish pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting!
EASY PUMPKIN BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
I love these Pumpkin Bars for so many reasons – first of all, there’s pumpkin involved.
I mean, you all know by now that pumpkin recipes are my jam. And I’m fairly certain I could eat a piece of notebook paper if it had enough cream cheese frosting on it.
Combined, they’re the perfect way to please a crowd of party-goers, end a day of fall activities, eat your feelings…whatever strikes your fancy.
There are not a lot of things in life that define fall more for me than the combination of pumpkin and cream cheese. It’s a favorite in my pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and pumpkin brownies.
In these Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, the tangy frosting is the perfect accompaniment to the moist pumpkin cake base.
The cake is made using oil instead of butter, so you can whisk everything together pretty quickly. It’ll go faster if you use an electric mixer, but it’s definitely not required for the cake itself!
Once the bars are baked and have cooled, all you have to do is whip up a simple cream cheese frosting to spread on top. Since you leave the bars in the pan to frost them, you don’t have to worry about frosting the sides or even making the top super smooth.
If you’re feeling fancy, you could even sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice on top of the cream cheese frosting for decoration.
HOW TO FREEZE PUMPKIN BARS
This recipe makes a lot of bars, so they’re also perfect for any upcoming holiday function or potluck.
But you want to make some just for yourself, you can freeze these Pumpkin Bars for later.
Just place the bars in an airtight container. If you need to stack the bars, be sure to separate the layers with parchment paper.
To thaw, pull out as many Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting as you like and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Because let’s be honest. Having Pumpkin Bars in the freezer, ready to snack on any time is about the best move I can think of.
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow pumpkin bars to cool completely before frosting.
- When pumpkin bars are completely cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Turn speed down to low and gradually add in confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Turn speed back to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes. Use an offset spatula to frost the pumpkin bars.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my gosh I love this! Perfect. I can’t use canned pumpkin anymore though, I started using fresh pumpkin and roasting it a few years back, yesterday I bought canned because it was easier. Yetch! I don’t know what it is, but the taste is unbearable now! Haha
Viola,
Your homemade pumpkin sounds amazing. Thanks for visiting.
-Jamie
wow what a pumpkin feast!
Tom-
Thanks for stopping by!
-Jamie
Aw these are super cute – just love cream cheese frosting! I also am really taken with the fact that they are circles, not squares – nice to mix it up a little :)
Jessica-
Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
My daughters and I all love pumpkin cake roll so much that we all want it for our birthday cake. It just so happens that all of our birthdays are in December.So I make 4 and freeze 3 so I can bring them out as the birthdays arrive.
Why would you eat cream cheese frosting on paper when all you have to do is get a spoon and eat it, I would AND HAVE.
Judy –
Thanks of visiting.
-Jamie
Looks delicious! I am a worrier too… but I worry about things like persecution and watching my family suffer, or something happening to my husband, or someone breaking in and taking my kids… Things like that. :/. The worry you feel about Elle will always be there, but it will change. I’m due with #4 in 6 months, so I’m not so worried about baby being too hot etc… I’m more worried about a helpful sibling tossing toys and blankets into the crib, wondering if I spend enough one on one time with each one, worry my 3 year old will never learn the value of telling the truth, if I’m teaching my oldest (5) enough in the kitchen, worrying about my lack of patience, and on and on. If I had cream cheese we ‘d be all over these today. Might have to settle for pumpkin bread.
Celena-
Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
You sound like a wonderful mom. Unfortunately, worrying comes with the territory. I’m glad these bars were able to take the edge off a little. I’m going to need the whole pan while we house shop this weekend. Pinned!
Jen-
Good luck with your house shopping! Thanks for visiting.
-Jamie
Looks great
Patricia-
Thanks so much for visiting.
-Jamie
Such a pretty bar. It’s like a cake-ette!! Definitely need these in my life.
Katrina –
Thanks so much for visiting!
-Jamie
I was totally awake worrying with you at 3am! Only it’s so much sadder because I couldn’t eat my worries away with these bars! These sound like they’d cure all troubles!
Sarah-
Thanks for visiting!
-Jamie
I am a person that worries a lot too and it totally disrupts my sleep. I remember the first time it happened was when I was in high school. I had a big day of exams, and I was scared I hadn’t studied enough, and so I worried myself sick that night. Ever since then, if I go to bed with something on my mind, it can really wreak havoc on me.
I should probably just store a batch of these bars in the fridge just in case ;)
Janice-
Thanks so much for visiting!
-Jamie