These deliciously easy-to-make pumpkin bars are topped off with an incredible cream cheese frosting for the perfect fall dessert.
Pumpkin bars are a delicious seasonal dessert consisting of a base layer of “pumpkin” style cake and are commonly topped off with a cream cheese frosting. They are jam-packed with pumpkin flavor and are always a big hit during the fall months. Pumpkin bars are very easy to make and can be served warm or at room temperature.
Pumpkin bars are very similar to pumpkin cake and absolutely share the same flavor profiles. I like to think of pumpkin bars as almost like a sheet cake. It’s thin, a little denser, but still has some cake-like consistencies.
Ingredients for this recipe:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 stick melted unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• cream cheese frosting recipe x 1 ½
Serves 16
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Procedures:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spice blend until combined and set aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree, sugars, butter, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until completely mixed.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and mix until combined and smooth.
5. Pour the batter onto a 10x15 cookie sheet tray that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non-stick spray and spread out until even.
6. Bake in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean after sticking in the center.
7. Cool the cake completely on a rack, which takes about 45 minutes, you can keep this warm, but the frosting will melt a bit.
8. Generously frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting, slice, and serve.
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead of time.
How to Store: Carefully cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. It would be better if the cake was not frosted before freezing.
I prefer to pull it out of the refrigerator for about an hour before slicing and serving it, so the cream cheese frosting softens up a bit.
Feel free to add assorted seasonal toppings like candy corns or other Halloween-themed decorations.
You may also add in chocolate chips or walnuts into the cake batter for enhanced flavor.