These homemade pumpkin bars topped with delicious cream cheese frosting are perfect for fall! Create these moist treats easily using basic pantry ingredients. They’re great for potlucks or just for your family to enjoy. Once you try these delicious pumpkin bars with a rich cream cheese frosting, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought desserts again.
These pumpkin bars are a perfect fall treat, but honestly, I could eat them all year round. You can whip up a batch of these moist and flavorful bars with just a few simple ingredients in no time. Not only are they great for a party or potluck, but they’re also a fun baking project to do with kids. You can even customize the recipe by adding your own mix-ins, like chocolate chips or chopped nuts.
The smooth cream cheese frosting turns these little soft and moist pumpkin squares into delicious treats to die for! If you enjoy pumpkin spice and cheesecake, you’ll definitely love these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting!
If you love easy dessert recipes, then you should also definitely try these Ginger Molasses Cookies and these Sweet Potato Puff Pastries too!
Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour will work well for this recipe. You could also use other types of flours like gluten-free flour or self-rising flour, but make sure to adjust the recipe accordingly and the end result may vary.
- Leavening: Use an equal amount of baking soda and baking powder in this recipe to get the perfect soft pumpkin cake.
- Eggs: Use large eggs and make sure they’re at room temperature before using, to get the best result.
- Sugar: There are 3 types of sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar and granulated sugar in the cake, to get the perfect balance of sweetness and nuttiness. Confectioner or powder sugar for the frosting to get a silky smooth frosting.
- Milk: Use buttermilk for the best flavor, or you can substitute it for whole milk.
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin puree will work perfectly. Don’t use the canned pumpkin pie filling as it has a different pumpkin flavor and consistency.
- Oil: Any vegetable oil will work well in this recipe. Make sure to choose a mild and neutral flavor oil, like canola, grapeseed, or sunflower oil.
- Spices: Spices make this pumpkin bars incredibly flavorful. Use a mix of ground cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Cream cheese: Use good quality cream cheese for the best result. Bring it to room temperature before using it.
- Butter: For the frosting, it’s best to use unsalted butter. Use soft room temperature butter to get a smooth texture.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract is used both in the cake and in the frosting. Choose a good quality extract for the best flavor.
Check the recipe card for more details and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
To get perfect soft and delicious fluffy pumpkin bars, I recommend following the recipe exactly. But below you can find some substitutions and variations you can try. Please note that the end result may be different.
- Fresh pumpkin: If you want to make homemade pumpkin puree from scratch, you can roast or steam fresh pumpkin chunks and then blend them in a food processor.
- Self-rising flour: If you don’t have baking powder and baking soda available, you can use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour.
- Milk: Buttermilk will give the best flavor to the pumpkin bars, but you can also use whole milk, or plant-based milk like oat milk, or almond milk.
- Dairy-free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can use a dairy-free or plant-based milk in the cake, and you can skip the frosting or use a dairy-free cream cheese and butter.
- Gluten-free: To make gluten-free pumpkin bars, you can use a good quality gluten-free plain white flour.
- Crunchy: For a little extra texture, try adding some chopped walnuts to your pumpkin bars. Simply sprinkle them on top of the batter before baking, or mix them into the batter itself.
- Chocolate: Add some chocolate chips to the batter for a delicious chocolate-y twist.
Instructions
Step #1. Sift together the Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger and Nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Step #2. In a separate large bowl combine the Eggs, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Buttermilk, Pumpkin Puree, Oil and Vanilla, and blend until smooth.
Step #3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend just until combined.
Step #4. Pour the Pour the pumpkin mixture into your pan and spread out into an even layer. Bake for approx. 25 minutes.
Step #5. Beat the Cream Cheese and Butter together until combined. Add Confectioners’ Sugar and Vanilla, and mix on low for 30 seconds.
Step #6. Spread the frosting on the pumpkin base, cut and serve.
Equipment
As with all baking projects, there are a few tools you’ll need to make this recipe to perfection. Here are my recommendations:
Recipe FAQs
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting can be made ahead of time and frozen for later. Simply bake the bars as directed, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. When you’re ready to serve them, allow them to thaw at room temperature for a few hours before slicing and serving.
To store your pumpkin cake bars and maintain their freshness, use an airtight container or wrap them individually with plastic wrap to prevent drying out or absorbing odors from the fridge. Both methods will keep them fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze leftover bars by wrapping each individually, placing them in an airtight container or freezer bag labeled with the contents and date. Frozen bars can be kept for up to 3 months and should be thawed in the refrigerator before enjoying. While cream cheese frosting doesn’t freeze well, you can add it after thawing for the best results.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for the cream cheese frosting to achieve a smooth texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter; mix until just combined to avoid dense bars.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center – it should come out with a few moist crumbs. Also, the center should spring back when pressed lightly.
- Allow the pumpkin base to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- For a decorative touch, sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top of the cream cheese frosting.
- When cutting the bars, using a warm knife can result in cleaner cuts.
Related Recipes
If you like these delicious pumpkin bars, you should try these other desserts too:
Freezer Meals for Two
Country Potato Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Fresh Raspberry Tart
Easter Peeps Cake
Creme De Menthe Brownies
Homemade Swedish Cardamom Bread
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon Ginger ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk or whole milk
- 15 oz Pumpkin Puree small can
- 2/3 cup vegetable Oil
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 10 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted Butter room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with 1” sides), or line it with parchment paper and coat with vegetable baking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Allspice, ground Ginger and Nutmeg. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine the Eggs, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Buttermilk, Pumpkin Puree, Oil and Vanilla, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and blend with a whisk just until combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread out into an even layer. Bake for approx. 25 minutes, or until the center springs back when pressed lightly.
- Set aside to cool for an hour.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the Cream Cheese and Butter together until combined.
- Add the Confectioners’ Sugar (one cup at a time) and Vanilla, and mix on low for 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as you add the Confectioners’ Sugar, then beat on high for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape the bowl, and mix for 30 seconds more.
- Spread the frosting on the pumpkin cake base, then cut and serve. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon, or sprinkle.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter; mix until just combined to avoid dense bars. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center – it should come out with a few moist crumbs. Also, the center should spring back when pressed lightly. Allow the pumpkin base to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting. For a decorative touch, sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top of the cream cheese frosting. When cutting the bars, using a warm knife can result in cleaner cuts.
Nutrition
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