Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Oct. 10, 2023
These Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the ultimate fall treat. Packed with warm autumn spices and bursting with extra pumpkin flavor, these bars are the perfect easy dessert!
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
If seeing all the plump pumpkins on display has you longing for your favorite autumn desserts, you’re not alone. We’re more than ready for fall baking, and this Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is one of our favorite dessert bar recipes for a number of reasons:
- It uses double the amount of real pumpkin so you can’t miss that amazing pumpkin flavor.
- It’s perfectly moist. We use coconut oil in this recipe to create a soft dessert bar that melts in your mouth.
- It’s easy to make. Just mix the ingredients and bake – the kids will love baking along with you.
- It freezes well. These pumpkin bars freeze wonderfully making them the perfect option for a make-ahead dessert.
- Your family will devour this for dessert and breakfast, if you let them.
Key Ingredients
These pumpkin bars are made mostly of simple pantry staples that you may already have on hand. The silky cream cheese frosting also uses just 4 simple ingredients. Take a look at the key ingredients for this recipe:
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil has a naturally sweet taste making it perfect for baking. It gives these bars a tender, moist texture.
- Eggs – Eggs help these pumpkin bars hold together so they’re easy-to-enjoy.
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for this recipe to ensure the freshest pumpkin flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Pumpkin Pie Spice is the perfect mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves that makes this treat warm, and comforting.
- Cream Cheese – We couldn’t have cream cheese frosting without this crucial ingredient! Cream cheese’s acidic flavor perfectly balances the sweetness of the sugar in the frosting which is why cream cheese frosting is one of our number one favorites.
- Vanilla Extract – We add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the frosting for the perfect burst of vanilla flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
While we love cream cheese frosting on these pumpkin bars, there are so many toppings that go well with them. Here are a few variations to try:
- Try adding this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce on top of fully cooled pumpkin bars for a festive topping idea.
- For a light, fluffy, and creamy topping for these bars, we love adding this Stabilized Whipped Cream.
- If you aren’t a fan of cream cheese frosting, feel free to replace with a classic buttercream frosting.
- Sprinkle your pumpkin bars with some cinnamon and sugar like the coating in these Cinnamon Apple Baked Donuts.
- Bonus: Try incorporating chopped pecans, apples, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips into these pumpkin bars. Experiment with any mix-ins you love.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Whisk butter and cream cheese together then add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until creamy. Set frosting aside at room temperature or in the fridge.
- Combine eggs, sugar, coconut oil, and pumpkin until smooth.
- Sift flour, baking soda. baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Then add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Spread batter into rimmed baking pan and bake at 350F for about 23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool bars completely. Then cut into squares and frost with cream cheese frosting.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
These pumpkin bars are already a super quick and easy dessert, but we have some tips to make preparing this fall treat even easier.
- Feel free to mix the dry ingredients in advance and store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
- The cream cheese frosting can be made the night before and stored in the fridge or stored in the freezer for up to a month. Just thaw to room temperature before using.
- These pumpkin bars freeze wonderfully. If you want to make these in advance, simply freeze cooled and cut bars in an airtight container until you’re ready to use them. We recommend freezing the frosting separately for best results.
Commonly Asked Questions
Store pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pumpkin bars can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin puree is simply mashed pumpkin. Note that pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are different. Pumpkin pie filling has added ingredients like sugar. Make sure to use simple pumpkin puree for best results with this recipe.
Yes! You can use a smaller pan for these bars. Just note that the cooking time will vary. When a toothpick comes out clean, you’ll know they’re done.
We can’t guarantee that the results will be the same gluten free. However, feel free to replace the flour with a 1:1 Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and tell us how they turn out!
Did you make this?
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese, very soft
- 2 TB salted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- 3 eggs
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil, liquid
- 30 oz pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 TB pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a bowl with hand whisk, whisk together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Cover and set aside at moderate room temp (or chill) until ready to use. If you chill it, be sure to let it soften at room temp before using it.
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, coconut oil, and pumpkin by hand until smooth.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into a 12×15 inch rimmed baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Bake about 23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean; don't over bake.
- Cool completely. Slice into bars and either drizzle or spread cream cheese frosting onto individual bars as desired, it can be hard to slice frosted bars.
Equipment
- Rimmed Baking Sheet, 15"
Notes
- Make sure to frost these soft dessert bars after you cut them as it can be hard to cut already-frosted bars.
- Try adding nuts or chocolate chips to the bars or topping with this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce.
- If you choose to make the frosting in advance and chill it, make sure to bring it back to room temperature before using.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!
Nutrition (per serving)
More To Bake And Eat
- Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe – This spiced pumpkin bread is sweet, moist, and bursting with all the season’s best flavors. A cinnamon-sugar and butter crumble sprinkled on top sets this pumpkin bread recipe far above your classic pumpkin bread.
- Chewy Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies Recipe – These pumpkin cookies are packed with white chocolate chips, chopped roasted pecans, and (of course) pumpkin! They’re not only deliciously chewy, but the dough freezes well too for quick cookies any time.
- Pumpkin Cupcakes – These pumpkin cupcakes are full of our favorite autumn spices that will have your house smelling like a dream. Moist and comforting, these cupcakes are a family favorite in the fall.
- Chewy Monster Cookie Bars – Thick, chewy, and supremely satisfying, these monster cookie bars are the perfect easy dessert that the whole family will love. Only one bowl is needed for this recipe making for super easy clean up!
- Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust – Buttery shortbread is topped with a vibrant lemon custard making the best lemon bars you’ll ever taste. They’re the perfect dessert to whip up for potlucks or to enjoy with your family.