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An image of a piece of a pumpkin bar on a plate with mini pumpkins in the background.
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5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

These easy Pumpkin Bars are incredibly moist and soft with the perfect ratio of cream cheese frosting spread over spiced pumpkin cake. We make this sweet treat in our house every fall; it makes just the right amount of bars for serving a large crowd for any party or gathering in about 30 minutes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 servings
Author: Amy Nash

Equipment

  • 13x18-inch Half Sheet Baking Pan

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup salted butter softened
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Sprinkles for decoration (optional)

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large, rimmed 13x18-inch baking sheet (aka a half sheet pan).
  • In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs.
    1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 4 large eggs
  • Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
    2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake springs back lightly to the touch and has barely started to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake!
  • Remove cake from oven and let cool.

Frosting

  • In a medium mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese and softened butter. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth.
    1 (8-ounce) package full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup salted butter
  • Add the powdered sugar, and vanilla, and beat until creamy and combined.
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 3-4 cups powdered sugar
  • Frost the cooled cake and sprinkle a little bit of pumpkin pie spice or festive sprinkles on top for decoration.
    Sprinkles

Notes

  • Storage: Once frosted, store your Pumpkin Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Because the frosting has cream cheese in it, it is advisable to store these bars in the fridge, although they will be okay kept out on the counter for about a day. But they will stay nice and moist and will not dry out if stored properly in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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