Description
Deliciously moist pumpkin bars with a rich cream cheese frosting, perfect for autumn gatherings or anytime you crave a spiced treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 10 x 14-inch jelly roll pan. Set aside while you make the batter.
- Make the batter: In a large bowl, crack the eggs and beat them. Add pumpkin puree, neutral oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract, whisking thoroughly to combine. Gradually mix in flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Whisk until completely incorporated but do not overmix.
- Bake the bars: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should come out clean. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: Beat together room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and creamy. Adjust sugar quantity slightly if needed to reach desired frosting consistency.
- Frost the bars: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into 18 bars and serve.
Notes
- Do not overmix the batter after adding dry ingredients to avoid tough bars.
- Use a clean skewer to test if the bars are baked through; sticky batter residue means more baking time is needed.
- Sift powdered sugar carefully and avoid adding lumps to the frosting for a smooth texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
