Tender pumpkin bars spread with a thick, luscious cream cheese frosting are a wonderful fall treat. I developed this easy recipe with a batter that stirs together quickly before being spread into a jelly roll pan and baked. In this updated post, I’ve added pan size variations you can try if you don’t have a jelly roll pan, various ways to change them up, and fun serving ideas. Plus, I explain how the ingredients come together in this recipe to make bars versus cake.
A reader, Karen, says: “5 stars are not enough!!! I made these bars for a Halloween treat and they were definitely a hit. They are moist, delicious and addicting. It was hard not to eat several. I did add chocolate chips to the batter and next time I think I will add pecans or walnuts too.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
How Do Pumpkin Bars Differ From Pumpkin Cake?
Two of my favorite pumpkin recipes, pumpkin bars and pumpkin cake, have a very similar flavor profile, but are quite different texturally. How? They both use most of the same ingredients, but at different ratios! Pumpkin cake is light, fluffy, and so tender that it should be served on a plate and eaten with a fork. Pumpkin bars are slightly fluffy without being crumbly, but dense enough that you can slice and eat them out of your hand.
My pumpkin cake and pumpkin bars have the same amount of flour and pumpkin puree, but they differ in other ingredients that contribute to how much the batter rises. The bars have half the amount of baking powder as the pumpkin cake. They also have less oil, eggs, and sugar. Each of these ingredients contributes to rise and fluffiness, so with less in the pumpkin bar recipe, the bars bake up sturdier and chewier than the cake. I also used brown sugar in the bars for some added moisture and extra chewiness, whereas the pumpkin cake recipe only calls for granulated sugar.
The last difference is in the pan choice. The bars are baked in a jelly roll pan (typically 10x15x1 inches), which spreads the batter into a thinner layer, while I bake the cake in a 9×13-inch baking pan for a tall, fluffy slice.
Key Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you need to make homemade pumpkin bars. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Leavening — using both baking powder and baking soda maximizes the rising power of these ingredients, so you get just enough lift for a great texture in your pumpkin bars. Baking soda also helps the bars brown to form a sturdier bottom.
Spices — a classic fall combination of cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, and nutmeg add warmth and cozy flavor to the bars. You can also swap the spices for your favorite pumpkin pie spice blend (see the Recipe Variations section for more info).
Eggs — large room temperature eggs help bind the pumpkin bar batter and give it structure as it sets in the oven. As I mentioned above, since you’re using fewer eggs than you would for a pumpkin cake, the end result is sturdier and less cakey.
Sugar — you need both granulated sugar (aka white sugar) and brown sugar to make easy pumpkin bars. While both add sweetness, brown sugar also adds moisture for a chewier bar.
Milk — a little milk adds moisture to the batter and also helps yield soft dessert bars. I used whole milk for added richness, but 2% milk would work, too.
Pumpkin puree — canned pumpkin is the best option here. Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has added sweeteners and spices that will affect the flavor of the bars, whereas pure pumpkin is a blank slate that you can add flavor to.
Oil — vegetable oil is a must for unbelievably soft, tender results because it does not turn firm or hard when it is cooled. You can use any neutral-flavored oil or a light olive oil. You could swap it for melted or browned butter if you wish, but keep in mind that the butter will change the texture. Since butter is hard when cool, it can cause the bars to become too firm or feel dry once they have come to room temperature.
Vanilla — vanilla extract helps the other flavors in this dessert bar recipe shine! Use high-quality store-bought or homemade vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Cream cheese frosting — to make my simple cream cheese frosting, you just need room temperature butter, softened blocks of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract that you’ll whip together until fluffy.
Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
While you can use homemade pumpkin puree, I recommend using canned pumpkin instead. Homemade fresh pumpkin puree has varying water content, and too much moisture can impact the texture of your bars.
If you decide to go the homemade route, blot moisture from the pumpkin puree by spreading it onto paper towels and letting it sit for 10 minutes. The paper towels will absorb excess moisture. You can follow the blotting instructions in my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Can I Use A Different Pan Size?
If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can make pumpkin bars in a different pan. My team tested this recipe to get accurate bake times for other common pan sizes. Just keep in mind that using smaller pans will affect the bake time and yield thicker, more cake-like bars. Here’s a quick overview of different pan sizes, their corresponding bake time, and bar thickness:
- One 9×13-inch cake pan: 23-25 minutes (thicker bars; more cake-like)
- Two 8-inch square pans: 24-26 minutes (slightly thicker bars)
- Two 9-inch square pans: 20-22 minutes (thinner bars)
Recipe Variations
It’s so easy to make the best pumpkin bars with your own twist! You can add mix-ins, swap the toppings, or add fun decorations.
- Use pumpkin spice: Swap the spices for 1½ teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Add mix-ins: Add up to ½ cup of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or roasted pumpkin seeds to the batter when it is almost ready and fold in.
- Use a different topping on top of the bars: Instead of cream cheese icing, add a generous drizzle of caramel sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar. Or, swap the type of frosting for a homemade buttercream frosting. You can also drizzle the bars with a twist on my lemon glaze recipe, by using orange juice instead of lemon juice.
- Decorate the top: Place candy pumpkins on top or scatter festive sprinkles over the frosted pumpkin bars. This is an easy way to dress them up for Halloween or Thanksgiving!
Pro Tips For Making The Best Pumpkin Bars
Fully line the baking pans for easy removal: Line the greased baking pan (or pans, depending on what size you went with) carefully with parchment paper so the pumpkin bar slab is easy to slide out once cooled. Let the excess parchment paper come up the sides of the pan, cutting slits if needed to lay flat.
Weigh your ingredients: The easiest way to avoid using too much or too little of an ingredient is to use a scale. Getting the measurement exact is particularly important for flour— accidentally using too much in the batter is a common mistake and leads to dry, crumbly bars. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon to aerate it, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. This method prevents you from unintentionally overpacking the cup with flour.
Use room temperature ingredients: Bring your eggs, milk, butter, and cream cheese to room temperature to make them easier to incorporate. You can set the eggs, milk, and butter out about an hour before, but the cream cheese might need closer to 2 hours to soften sufficiently. If you forget to set the ingredients out, there are some quick hacks you can use to speed up the process. Pop eggs into a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes to warm them to room temperature, and use my tips for how to soften butter quickly (the tips also work for cream cheese, aside from the microwave hack since it’s wrapped in foil).
Don’t overmix the batter: This causes too much gluten to develop, leading to pumpkin bars that are tough or too dense. Mix until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are combined and the streaks of flour have just disappeared. For this reason, mixing the batter by hand is the best (and easiest) method. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer will overwork the batter.
How To Make Pumpkin Bars
I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making these easy pumpkin bars. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and fall spices in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, milk, and pumpkin puree. Be sure to mix until it’s completely smooth, because once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, there isn’t much mixing time left!
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk just until combined. There should be no streaks of flour, but don’t keep mixing beyond this point or the pumpkin bars will turn out tough and gummy due to gluten in the flour over-developing.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 10×15-inch jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread the pumpkin bar batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin bar slab springs back when pressed lightly. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, you can remove the slab from the pan or leave it.
5. Make the cream cheese frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. On medium speed, beat the softened butter until creamy before adding the softened cream cheese. Beat to combine, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat on low. Once combined, increase the speed to high to get the fluffy, velvety texture you know and love.
6. Once the pumpkin bars are completely cool, spread the cream cheese frosting on top in an even layer with an offset spatula. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Bowls
- Whisk
- 15×10 inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar (220g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature (60mL)
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can pumpkin puree
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil (160mL)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup butter room temperature (113g)
- 1 (8-ounce/226g) package cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.
- In a separate bowl combine the eggs, oil, white and brown sugars, vanilla, milk, and pumpkin puree then whisk together until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and mix until just combined then transfer the batter to your prepared pan and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed lightly.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and beat until creamy and combined, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until combined, then beat on high for about 3 minutes until light and creamy. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- Once the bars are cool, cover with the cream cheese frosting, cut and serve. I like to garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or festive sprinkles.
Notes
- Make sure the pumpkin bars cool completely before frosting them. If they are still warm, the frosting will melt into the bars and won’t stay light and fluffy on top.
- Don’t have a jelly roll pan? You can also bake this in a 9×13″ pan, adjusting the bake time to about 25 minutes. Or, use two 8″ square pans, baking for about 26 minutes, or two 9″ pans for about 22 minutes.
Nutrition
How To Serve
You can easily eat frosted pumpkin bars as is— the dreamy cream cheese frosting combined with all the cozy flavors in the bars themselves are perfect on their own! But if you want to dress them up, skip the frosting and serve them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream. For crunch, chop up candied walnuts, candied pecans, or toasted pecans and sprinkle them on top of the frosting.
Storing and Freezing
Storage: You have to refrigerate pumpkin bars because of the dairy in the cream cheese frosting. Transfer any leftover bars to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If you do not frost them, they will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing: If unfrosted, let the bars cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. If frosted, place the bars in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, and then wrap them or place them in a freezer container. Pumpkin bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
More Fall Baking Recipes To Try
These recipes are packed with all your favorite fall flavors and ingredients! Give them a try next.
Chocolate chip pumpkin bread combines pumpkin puree, warm spices, and melty chocolate chips for a quick bread you’ll want to make over and over!
Start your day off on the right foot with moist, fluffy pumpkin muffins for breakfast! My secret for bakery-style muffins is starting off with a very hot oven so they puff up, then reducing the temperature so they bake through. This yields tall, perfectly domed muffins every time.
Whip up a batch of pumpkin pancakes with pantry staples and just 5 minutes of prep time! Serve them with butter and maple syrup.
French apple cake is moist, buttery, and filled with fresh apples. I love enjoying a slice with a tipple of rum on special occasions.
Golden and flaky, my easy apple turnovers are simply packed with spiced fresh apples! Be sure to cut the apples as uniformly as possible so they cook evenly, and to make folding and turning the turnovers easier.
If you’ve tried this pumpkin bar recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Jeff Aiazzi-Newell says
We love pumpkin everything and these are “Amazing” so moist and yummy. Will make over and over again. I just love your recipes they are all wonderful and you are so fun to watch. My go to for any recipe I’m looking for.
Michelle says
Made these for my sons football parents and kids. They were a hit!!! I did 1.5x the recipe and used a 15×18 pan. Cook time was still the same. Added some salted caramel and cinnamon to the frosting. Perfect recipe!
Diane says
When I make pumpkin bars this is my go to recipe. They turn out perfectly moist and delicious and the frosting is a dream.