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These Pumpkin Bars are soft, incredibly moist and loaded with warm spices. Topped with a thick layer of silky cream cheese frosting, they’re the ultimate pumpkin dessert for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and everything in between.
If you’re looking for homemade Pumpkin Bars that are rich, perfectly spiced, and incredibly easy to make, you’ve found them! The bars are made with real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and plenty of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice for a deep pumpkin spice flavor. A generous layer of homemade cream cheese frosting takes them completely over the top.
Whether you’re baking for a holiday dessert table, bake sale, or just because you’re craving pumpkin season, these Pumpkin Bars are guaranteed to become a new favorite. If you’re a pumpkin fanatic like I am, I do have several other pumpkin bar variations worth checking out too, like my pumpkin pie bars, pumpkin chocolate chip bars, and pumpkin cheesecake bars.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Don’t be surprised when this becomes one of your go-to fall recipes!
- Perfect Texture. These bars are soft, moist, and just the right combination of dense and cakey. Some bars tend to have such a cake-like texture that they fall apart but not these.
- Quick and Easy. The prep for both the bars and the frosting takes less than 20 minutes. The only time-consuming part is waiting for the bars to cool.
- The Frosting. Equally as lovely as the bars is the cream cheese frosting. It’s rich, creamy, and the perfect combination of tangy and sweet.
Recipe Ingredients
These homemade Pumpkin Bars use simple baking ingredients to create the perfect fall dessert. You’ll find the complete ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour. Provides structure while still keeping the bars soft and tender.
- Cornstarch. A little cornstarch helps create a softer, more tender texture.
- Pumpkin Spices. A combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice gives these bars their rich, classic pumpkin spice flavor.
- Brown Sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
- Butter. Melted butter creates rich, buttery bars with a chewy texture.
- Pumpkin Puree. Use 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) for the best flavor and consistency.
- Vanilla. Adds warmth and enhances all of the fall spices.
- Egg + Egg Yolk. Using an extra egg yolk makes these pumpkin bars richer while helping create their dense, chewy texture.
- Cream Cheese Frosting. You’ll need powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, clear vanilla and powdered sugar.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
This pumpkin bars recipe is straightforward and easy to make. While the bars come together quickly, they do need to cool before adding the frosting, so remember to leave time for that.
- Make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin. Gradually add in the dry ingredients.
- Bake. Transfer the batter to a baking pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool. Allow the pumpkin bars to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Cream all frosting ingredients together until combined and creamy.
- Frost the pumpkin bars. Spread the frosting over the bars and add a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Cut and enjoy!
Tips for Success
This pumpkin bar recipe is pretty straightforward to make but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. As with most pumpkin desserts, be sure you’re using pure pumpkin puree and not the pre-spiced, pre-sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir in the dry ingredients just until well combined. Overmixing can lead to dense, dry bars.
- Don’t skip the 5-minute rest. Allowing the batter to rest helps the flour absorb the liquid, producing softer bars with a better color and texture.
- Bake until a few moist crumbs remain. Overbaking can dry out the bars.
- Cool completely before frosting. Warm bars will melt the frosting.
- Chill before slicing. Pop the frosted bars into the freezer for about 30 minutes before cutting for beautifully clean slices.
Easy Variations and Additions
These easy Pumpkin Bars are easy to customize.
- Mix in chocolate chips. Fold semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips into the batter.
- Add nuts. Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Swap the frosting. Instead of our classic cream cheese frosting, try our cinnamon cream cheese frosting. If you’re not a fan of cream cheese, consider using vanilla buttercream.
- Drizzle caramel on top. Spoon some caramel sauce over the frosting before serving.
- Decorate. Top the frosting with chopped pecans, cinnamon sugar, or festive fall sprinkles.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. These pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Use parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking. They’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days.
- Freezer. Freeze frosted or unfrosted bars for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These Pumpkin Bars are soft, incredibly moist and loaded with warm spices. Topped with a thick layer of silky cream cheese frosting, they're the ultimate pumpkin dessert for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and everything in between.
Servings: 16
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (12 Tablespoons), melted
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper, allowing overhang to aid in removing the bars after baking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, salt and cornstarch. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and melted butter until it’s thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan. Let batter sit for 5 minutes before baking to help hydrate the flour and reduce bubbles. Bang the pan firmly on the counter several times so the batter settles into the pan.
- Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Using a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon or 2 of cream or milk.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
- Cut and enjoy!
Last Step:
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 2394IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
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