Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 5 votes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Soft, cake-style pumpkin bars made with canned pumpkin and warm spices, topped with cream cheese frosting. One sheet pan makes 30 bars for fall gatherings and Thanksgiving.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Stand mixer
baking sheet 9 x 13 or 10 x 15
Bowls, spatula and knife

Ingredients

For the Cake Part of Bars

1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup oil vegetable oil or refined olive oil
15 ounces can 100% pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk whole or 2%
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour (or spray with cooking oil spray) a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. If you use a more common 9 x 13-inch pan, you will have to cook it longer or the middle will not get done. Alternatively you could only pour in 3/4 of the batter into the 9 x 13 and use a muffin tin or small baking pan for the rest.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the sugar, the oil and the pumpkin until creamy (about 1 min). Beat in eggs until well combined - about 2 minutes.
1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 15 ounces can 100% pumpkin , 4 eggs
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices. I use a slotted spoon to thoroughly mix these dry ingredients. You could use a sifter instead.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, or until evenly golden and a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let cool completely (about 1 1/2 hour) before frosting.
Using a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla.
Gradually beat in powdered sugar, a little at a time, until mixture is smooth. Be sure and add powdered sugar slowly or it will fly out and make a big mess.
Spread frosting over completely cooled bars.
6 ounces cream cheese, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 cups powdered sugar
Chill before cutting into bars. Makes 30 bars (depending on how large you cut them).

Notes

Note: For pumpkin pie spice: use 1 tablespoon in place of the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

Nutrition