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Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin bars with a tender, spiced sheet-cake crumb and a thick cream cheese frosting layer. Baked until the edges pull away from the pan, then chilled so the bars slice into neat rectangles.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
chill time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pumpkin bars
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1.67 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can (15 oz)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon for frosting + dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bars
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges pull away from the sides.
  6. Cool the bars completely before frosting.
Frost and finish
  1. Beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until the frosting is smooth.
  3. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars.
  4. Dust the top with cinnamon, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the bars fully so the cream cheese frosting doesn’t melt or slide. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 4 days; freezing is yes (freeze bars airtight up to 2 months) and thaw in the fridge overnight. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese (texture stays creamy, flavor stays close).