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These classic Pumpkin Bars are a delicious fall dessert. This recipe makes a soft, tender pumpkin cake topped with a rich, cream cheese frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe for Pumpkin Bars comes from my friend Sherra. This is one of their family’s favorite holiday recipes. One year she made 20 batches of pumpkin bars for her kid’s school. It was so popular, she printed off the recipe and left it in the school office for all the mom’s who kept asking for the recipe!
These bars are perfectly falvored. The cake is made with a yummy combination of fall flavors – cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger so it is the perfect treat for this time of year. For me, the cream cheese frosting is the best part!
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs
- Sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar
- Oil
- Pumpkin Puree. This is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. There are no spices in pumpkin puree.
- Flour. I prefer unbleached all purpose flour
- Milk
- Cream Cheese
- Baking Powder
- Butter
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Spices, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Ground Cinnamon. You can also substitute with
- Pecans or Walnuts, optional
- Vanilla Extract
How To Make Pumpkin Bars
- Mix together oil, eggs, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl or use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add in dry ingredients including flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices into wet ingredients.
- Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 inch jelly roll baking pan
- Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Mix together cream cheese, vanilla, butter, milk, powdered sugar until smooth
- Frost cooled cake with mixture using an offset spatula or knife.
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
Tips
- Don’t over mix the batter. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
- You can substitute the spices in this recipe for 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
- Dress up your pumpkin bars with chopped nuts such as candied pecans or walnuts, toffee bits or mini chocolate chips. You can also put the add ins into the cake batter too if you prefer. I use about 1 cup
- Serve pumpkin bars without frosting if you prefer. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar or add some sweetened whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do pumpkin bars need to be refrigerated?
Because of the cream cheese frosting they should be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store covered or in an airtight container.
Can I freeze pumpkin bars?
They freeze great! Store in an airtight container or a zippered freezer bag. I think they freeze better before the frosting is added. Wrap them airtight and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then top with cream cheese frosting.
Can I use a different size pan?
If you don’t have a 10 x 15 inch sheet pan you can use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. It will give you a thicker cake and will require a little longer baking time. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the edge of the pan, bounces back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
Check out more of my favorite pumpkin recipes:
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Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree
- 2 cups flour unbleached all purpose
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp dried ginger
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Mix together oil, eggs, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl or a stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir until combined.
- Pour into a greased 10 x 15 inch sheet pan
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix together softened cream cheese, vanilla, butter, milk, powdered sugar and beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Can also use a stand mixer.
- Frost cooled cake with mixture and sprinkle with nuts if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Don’t over mix the batter. Mix just until ingredients are incorporated.
- Dress up your pumpkin bars with chopped nuts such as candied pecans or walnuts, toffee bits or mini chocolate chips. You can also put the add ins into the cake batter too if you prefer. I use about 1 cup
- Serve pumpkin bars without frosting if you prefer. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar or add some sweetened whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
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Mentor Mom says
I made these yesterday for a houseful of teens . . . and they disappeared . . . not a crumb left in the pan. Sadly, I had forgotten to snag one for my sweet husband who was at work. Now, I’ll need to make another batch so that he can have a few. 🙂 (Sadly, they are so not on my diet, that I didn’t even taste a sliver, and I LOVE anything pumpkin.) Thankfully, I grabbed 3 tiny “bars” for my younger kids before the teens inhaled them.
Great recipe. I think we’ll try the Pumpkin Chili tomorrow. I’ve made 4 new dinners in the past 2 weeks, just off of 2 blogs. LOVE it!
Laurel
mama of a dozen
Leigh Anne says
So glad they were a hit!! You should definitely make them again for your hubby. Hope you like the chili too – it’s a winner at our house.
Emily says
I can’t wait to try these, because I really love my pumpkin bars. But I love so many of your recipes too so I am looking forward to see which recipe wins 🙂
Leigh Anne says
I want to know what you think and if you like yours better I want your recipe!!
Jan Rinker says
what can you use in place of a jelly roll pan
Leigh Anne says
A jelly roll pan is just really a big cookie sheet. I would use the biggest cookie sheet with a lip on it that you have.
Dawn says
Thanks for sharing Sherra and Leigh Anne. I love anything pumpkin. Have you tried Burgerville’s seasonal pumpkin smoothies (or milkshakes)?
Leigh Anne says
DANGER – you may have just created a problem Dawn!!!!Burgerville here I come!!
Robyn Neville says
mmmm, sounds soo yummy!