Description
Delicious and moist pumpkin bars topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting, perfect for fall gatherings or anytime you crave a spiced sweet 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 Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10 x 14-inch jelly roll pan; set it aside.
- Make Batter: In a large bowl, crack the eggs and beat them. Add pumpkin puree, neutral oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Whisk until completely incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake Bars: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat together the room temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and achieving your preferred frosting consistency.
- Frost 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 caused by gluten development.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to test doneness; it should come out clean or with only a few crumbs when bars are finished baking.
- Sift powdered sugar to remove lumps for a smooth frosting; discard any lumps that cannot be squeezed through the sifter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
