Description
Deliciously moist and spiced pumpkin bars topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. Perfect for fall or any time you crave seasonal flavors in a convenient bar format.
Ingredients
Scale
For the bars
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 x 14-inch jelly roll pan thoroughly and set it aside to ensure easy removal of the bars later.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl, crack and beat the eggs until combined. Add the pumpkin puree, neutral oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until smooth. Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Whisk gently until all the ingredients are fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix to avoid tough bars.
- Bake the Bars: Pour the prepared batter evenly into the greased pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean. Once baked, remove the pan and allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat together the room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then gradually incorporate the sifted powdered sugar. Adjust the amount of powdered sugar to achieve your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost the Bars: Once the pumpkin bars are completely cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. Chill if desired before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter once dry ingredients are added, as excessive mixing develops gluten which leads to tough bars.
- Use a skewer or toothpick to test when baking is complete; it should come out mostly clean without wet batter.
- Sift powdered sugar thoroughly to avoid lumps in the frosting. Do not force large lumps through the sifter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
