These easy pumpkin bars will satisfy all your pumpkin cravings. Besides being delicious and quick to make they also serve a big group so no one needs to feel shy asking for seconds! If you’re in the mood to try some other delicious pumpkin recipes, then try my Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread or my Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Spices: I used my fall favorites but you can either stick with 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice or use what you have on hand.
Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar but I love the richer flavor dark brown sugar gives this recipe.
Pumpkin puree: Just a reminder not to use pumpkin pie filling.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
1. Preheat oven to 350F then prepare a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan by greasing or lining with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl then whisk together and set aside. Sifting is optional.
2. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, sugars, and pumpkin puree then whisk until smooth.
3. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined.
4. Transfer batter into your prepared pan and smooth out with an offset spatula. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes or until the center springs back when gently pressed.
5. Beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth and then add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and beat on high for about 3 minutes or until light and creamy. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
6. Once the base has cooled completely spread the cream cheese frosting all over the top. I like to make little swoops all over and then sprinkle with cinnamon before cutting and serving.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Do not over-mix the batter as it will give you a denser and more tough pumpkin bar.
- You can add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy pumpkins as decoration on top of the bars.
- These bars are delicious without frosting too, you can dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel or icing.
- You can definitely use different sized pans to make these! A 9×13 inch pan will give you a slightly thicker bar while a larger sheet pan should probably be sectioned off with foil to make a smaller area for the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size pan can you make these in?
So the recipe calls for a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan but you make them in a 9×15 pan and they’ll be great, just a little thicker. If you have a larger sheet pan then it’s best to use some foil to wall it off to create a larger pan.
What can you frost them with?
I love these with cream cheese frosting but they are also great drizzled with caramel, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with a brown butter buttercream!
How long do they keep for?
These bars will last for three days in the refrigerator. Because of the dairy in the frosting they should be kept refrigerated and not left out for more than two hours.
Can you freeze them?
Yes! You can freeze pumpkin bars after baking although you should do so before frosting for best results. Wrap well and freeze then defrost overnight and top with cream cheese frosting.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Pumpkin Bars recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pumpkin bars
Video
Equipment
- Bowls
- Whisk
- 15x10 inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar 200g
- 1/4 cup white sugar 50g
- 1/4 cup whole milk 60mL
- 15 oz pumpkin puree one small can
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil 160mL
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 10mL
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter 113g, room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese 226g, room temp
- 3 cups powdered sugar 340g
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine the eggs, oil, white and brown sugar, 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 at 350F for about 25 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed lightly.
- Make the frosting by beating room temperature cream cheese and butte together until combined then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on low then switch to high for about three minutes or until light and creamy. scrape the bowl down and mix once more.
- Once the base is cool cover with the cream cheese frosting, cut and serve. I like to garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon but sprinkles
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Do not over-mix the batter as it will give you a denser and more tough pumpkin bar.
- You can add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy pumpkins as decoration on top of the bars.
- These bars are delicious without frosting too, you can dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel or icing.
- You can definitely use different sized pans to make these! A 9x13 inch pan will give you a slightly thicker bar while a larger sheet pan should probably be sectioned off with foil to make a smaller area for the batter.
