Bring pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting to your next gathering. These frosted pumpkin squares make a tempting addition to any fall dessert table!
If you have a can of pumpkin sitting in your pantry and cream cheese in your refrigerator, these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are a very good reason to cancel whatever responsible dessert plans you had!
Ingredients
For Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 can (15 ounces / 425 g) pure pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- Chopped toasted pecans, optional: Excellent if you want a little crunch on top.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Heat your oven to 350°F and position a rack near center. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan, then line it with parchment paper so a little parchment hangs over two sides.
I strongly recommend a light-colored metal pan here because dark pans can brown edges before center finishes baking, and glass tends to cook more slowly.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves to a medium bowl, then whisk for about 20 seconds. Do not treat this as pointless pre-recipe paperwork!
Evenly distributing baking soda and spices now prevents random bitter pockets and ensures one corner does not receive all your nutmeg.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until mixture looks smooth and slightly lighter, about 45 seconds.
You do not need a mixer for batter. Add pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla, then whisk until color looks completely even with no visible streaks of egg or oil.
Add dry mixture to pumpkin mixture and switch to a flexible spatula or wooden spoon.
Fold everything together just until you can no longer see dry flour, scraping bottom and sides as you work.
Batter should look thick but pourable, almost like a thick pancake batter. Stop mixing at that point! Continuing to stir once flour has disappeared can make bars tougher.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread it into corners. Give pan two gentle taps against your counter to settle batter, then look across surface from eye level. If one side is obviously thicker, even it out now because batter will bake exactly where you leave it.
Bake at 350°F for 32 to 38 minutes. Start checking around 30 minutes because ovens have personalities, and some of them are liars.
Bars are ready when center springs back gently after a light fingertip press and a toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
If toothpick comes out perfectly dry and crumb-free, they may already be slightly more baked than ideal.
Put pan on a wire rack and let bars cool completely, usually 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Don’t frost them while even slightly warm.
I know waiting beside a pan of pumpkin cake is character development nobody requested, but warm bars will melt cream cheese frosting into a glossy puddle.
While bars cool, prepare frosting. Beat softened butter with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until creamy.
Add powdered sugar gradually and beat on low until incorporated, then increase speed briefly until smooth. Adding powdered sugar before cream cheese helps give frosting a little more structure.
Add cream cheese in several chunks and mix on low to medium-low only until smooth, then add vanilla and salt. Don’t whip cream cheese frosting for five minutes trying to make it “extra fluffy.”
Overmixing can loosen cream cheese and leave you with frosting that slowly slides toward one side of your pan like it has somewhere else to be.
Once bars are completely cool, spread frosting across top using an offset spatula or back of a spoon. I like leaving a few visible swirls instead of polishing it perfectly flat because those little peaks catch pecans beautifully and make every piece look inviting.
If using toasted pecans, scatter them over frosting now. Refrigerate bars for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing if you want especially neat squares.
Lift slab from pan with parchment, wipe your knife between cuts and slice into 24 bars. For larger dessert portions, cut 18 instead.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting slightly chilled if you want clean slices and a firmer frosting, or let each piece sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes if you prefer softer crumb and creamier topping.
They are especially good with hot coffee, cold brew, chai or black tea because a slightly bitter drink balances sweet frosting beautifully. For a holiday dessert spread, cut bars into smaller squares and add toasted pecans on top so guests can grab one without committing to an enormous slice of cake.
If serving them as an after-dinner dessert, add a tiny dusting of cinnamon just before serving. You can also drizzle a very small amount of maple syrup over individual pieces, but keep it light because frosting already brings plenty of sweetness.
Slice yourself a corner piece if you like slightly firmer edges, grab a center square if soft pumpkin crumb is your priority, pour something hot to drink and enjoy it while frosting is cool and creamy.
And if one bar somehow turns into two, I see no need for a formal investigation!
Hungry for more feel-good meals? Explore these 21 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Recipes for a nourishing start and 10 Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Recipes for delicious evenings that make healthy eating easy!
