Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, pumpkin spiced bars topped with homemade sweet cream cheese frosting. The best pumpkin bar recipe!

I am keeping the canned pumpkin makers in business! I just can’t keep baking up Fall recipes and I am craving everything pumpkin. 

This morning I asked my Instagram followers what pumpkin recipe they wanted to see next on Modern Honey. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting won the popular vote so I got busy in the kitchen.

I don’t usually turn around recipes this quick because there are usually several rounds of recipe testing to do, setting up a photo shoot, capturing hundreds of photos, uploading the photos, editing the photos in Lightroom, choosing the favorite photos, uploading them to my website, writing the recipe post, marketing the recipe post on all of my social media platforms, writing a newsletter, and then cleaning up the disaster I made in my test kitchen. It makes for a busy day! 

But I promised you a recipe tonight and I want to deliver that to you! These Frosted Pumpkin Bars are to die for and they turned out absolutely perfect so I couldn’t wait to share the recipe with you. I love the combination of pumpkin and cream cheese together!

The key to making these pumpkin squares extra moist is to use a combination of oil and buttermilk. This creates a soft, fluffy, moist texture that stays moist. I have tried making pumpkin bars and pumpkin cake before without buttermilk or sour cream but I love the difference it makes in this recipe.

PUMPKIN BAR INGREDIENTS:

1. Pure Canned Pumpkin — only use 100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling
2. Brown Sugar
3. Granulated Sugar
4. Oil — use any type of oil such as canola, vegetable, olive oil, etc.
5. Eggs 
6. Vanilla Extract
7. Buttermilk or Whole Milk — may substitute 2% or whole milk
8. Flour
9. Pumpkin Spice
10. Cinnamon
11. Baking Powder and Baking Soda
12. Salt

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• Salted Butter
• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar
• Milk or Heavy Cream
• Vanilla

What is Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin pie spice, also known as pumpkin spice, is a spice mix usually used in pumpkin pie. 

Pumpkin Spice is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. The main ingredient in pumpkin pie spice is cinnamon. 

You can find pumpkin spice in the spice section of your local grocery store.

What size pan should I use?

I suggest using a jelly roll pan, which is 15 x 10 x 1.

If you want thicker pumpkin bars, use a 9 x 13 pan.

If you desire thinner pumpkin bars, use a regular-size cookie sheet, which is about 17 x 13 x 1.

How to make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Start by mixing together oil, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk for 3-4 minutes until creamy. Add in pumpkin and mix for 1 minute longer.
2. Fold in flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until most of the bumps disappear.
3. Place a parchment paper sheet into the jelly roll pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. If you don’t have parchment paper, spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Pour the pumpkin batter into the pan and evenly spread into the corners.
5. Bake. Let cool before frosting. If you used parchment paper you can flip the bars onto a cooling rack and peel off the paper. This makes it easier to cut the bars.
6. Make the cream cheese frosting and once the bars cool, spread the frosting all over. Cut into squares.

TIPS:

When you are ready to cut into pumpkin squares, there are a few ways to make it easier.

1. Freeze the bars for 30 minutes before slicing them to make them easier.
2. If you use parchment paper sheets, you can lift the bars out of the pan or flip them over onto a cooling rack. This makes it easier to cut them.
3. Use a plastic knife to cut the bars. It creates a smooth edge.

PUMPKIN RECIPES: 

• Pumpkin Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel
• Saucepan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
• Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Pumpkin Dump Cake

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5 from 11 votes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

By: Modern Honey® - www.modernhoney.com

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, pumpkin spiced bars topped with homemade sweet cream cheese frosting. The best pumpkin bar recipe!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 20

Equipment

• kitchenaid mixer
• measuring cups and spoons
• baking sheet
• spatula set

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup Oil (canola, vegetable, etc)
• ▢ 1 cup Sugar
• ▢ 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ▢ 3 large Eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup Buttermilk or Whole Milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 15-ounce can Pure Canned Pumpkin *
• ▢ 2 cups Flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ▢ 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
• ▢ 8-ounce pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
• ▢ 4 to 4 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• ▢ 1 to 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Whole Milk

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together oil, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk for 3-4 minutes until creamy. Add in pumpkin and mix for 1 minute longer.
• Fold in flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until most of the bumps disappear.
• Place a parchment paper sheet into the jelly roll pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray. If you don't have parchment paper, spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the pumpkin batter into the pan and evenly spread into the corners.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of pan used. If using a thin cookie sheet, I suggest setting the timer for 17 minutes and checking it.
• Let cool before frosting. If you used parchment paper you can flip the bars onto a cooling rack and peel off the paper. This makes it easier to cut the bars.Make the cream cheese frosting and once the bars cool, spread the frosting all over. Cut into squares.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In a mixing bowl, add softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Mix until light and fluffy and completely smooth and creamy.

Notes

1. Pure Canned Pumpkin -- only use 100% pure pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling
2. Oil -- use any type of oil such as canola, vegetable, olive oil, etc.
3. Buttermilk or Whole Milk -- may substitute 2% or whole milk

TIPS:

When you are ready to cut into pumpkin squares, there are a few ways to make it easier.

1. Freeze the bars for 30 minutes before slicing them to make them easier.
2. If you use parchment paper sheets, you can lift the bars out of the pan or flip them over onto a cooling rack. This makes it easier to cut them.
3. Use a plastic knife to cut the bars. It creates a smooth edge.

 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Bread, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 20

Keyword: pumpkin bars, pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin squares

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