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Pumpkin Bars With Brown Sugar Frosting

Pumpkin bars with brown sugar frosting are tender, golden-orange squares baked in a greased pan and finished with a caramel-brown, swirl-ready frosting. Bake-time is kept tight (25–30 minutes) so the bars stay soft, then the frosting firms as it cools for clean slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the bars
  • 2 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
  • 1.667 cup sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 15 oz pumpkin 1 can (15 oz)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For brown sugar frosting
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.333 cup heavy cream
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 salt pinch

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bars
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 15x10 pan so it’s ready for batter.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Spread the batter into the greased 15x10 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until set in the center.
  6. Cool the bars completely before frosting so the topping doesn’t melt.
Make and frost
  1. Melt unsalted butter and brown sugar over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add heavy cream and bring back to a boil, then cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Spread frosting immediately over the cooled bars, noting it firms as it cools.

Notes

Pro tip: for clean slices, cool the frosted bars until the frosting is set (it firms as it cools) before cutting. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze bars (uncovered to set first, then wrap) up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap half the oil with unsweetened applesauce if you don’t mind a slightly softer texture.