Pumpkin Bars fill your house with the cozy tastes and smells of the holidays. Moist tender cake-like bars flavored with pumpkin puree and warming spices meld with rich butter and cream cheese frosting for a bar so good, it’s hard to stop at one!
When it comes to fall and winter I can’t get enough pumpkin spice recipes (like Pumpkin Spice Lattes). Pumpkin bars along with pumpkin pie, and easy pumpkin bread are just a couple of my favorites!
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
This recipe is as easy as (pumpkin) pie! No pastry dough to mix or roll, and cleanup is a snap.
- Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in wet ingredients.
- Pour into a sheet cake pan and bake.
Cool, top with frosting, and cut into bars for serving. Serve with hot chocolate, chai tea or your favorite gourmet coffee.
How to Store Leftover Pumpkin Bars
Cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated, so be sure to make room in the fridge to store leftovers. It will keep for up to a week, tightly covered. Freezing is also an option. Bars can be stored for up to 6 months in freezer containers.
For food safety reasons, thaw frozen pumpkin bars in the fridge. Pumpkin Bars are the perfect cake for make-ahead convenience, or to bring to office parties. Everyone will want the recipe!
Yummy Pumpkin Flavored Baking
- Pumpkin Bread – easy quick bread recipe
- Pumpkin Roll Recipe – ready in under 30 mins!
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins – great for making ahead!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – perfect comfort food
- Pumpkin Zucchini Bread – loaded with flavor!
Easy Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter (unsalted) softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spice and salt in a bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour into an ungreased 10x15" baking pan and bake 25-30 minutes.
- Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting or top each serving with whipped cream.
Frosting
- Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer 2 to 3 minutes until creamy.
- Add vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar beating until fluffy. Continue adding powdered sugar to get desired consistency.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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These sound so tasty & easy, Holly. I’m wondering if I can substitute half cup of applesauce, and use only half cup of oil? Thank you. :-)
I haven’t tried these with half applesauce. While I think it will change the texture slightly I do think it would work well in this recipe. Let us know how it goes Angelina!