Our easy pumpkin bars are the perfect fall treat. Made from scratch with pumpkin and warm spices, they are topped with homemade cream cheese frosting. Baked in a sheet pan, there’s plenty to go around.
These delicious pumpkin bars will be a huge hit at family gatherings, potlucks, or holiday get-togethers. Plus, they freeze beautifully, so you can make a batch and enjoy them later. That is one of my favorite things about these bars since we can’t eat the entire batch while they are fresh.
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Bar Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
pumpkin bars
pumpkin – we use Libby’s canned pumpkin puree, it’s our favorite and is readily available any time of the year (we don’t only make these in the fall). Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling has spices already added into it, the puree does not.
butter – we use unsalted real butter, not margarine. While margarine can be used it may change the texture slightly.
eggs – room temperature large eggs are what we use.
sugar – I like regular white sugar, you can use brown sugar if you want.
flour – we use all purpose flour for this recipe.
leavening agents – both baking powder and baking soda are used to make these rise.
spices – ground cinnamon and salt are all you need to give these pumpkin bars great flavor.
Frosting Ingredients
cream cheese frosting
cream cheese – I use full-fat cream cheese for this, you can use ⅓ less fat if you want.
powdered sugar – also known as confectioners’ sugar, this is a classic ingredient in frostings and icings.
butter – we use unsalted butter, if using salted butter you may want to cut the salt a bit.
vanilla – pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavoring, is what we use.
salt – this helps to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor. It also helps to stabilize the frosting, ensuring the right texture and consistency.
How to make the best pumpkin bars
- Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 10″ X 15″ jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until well combined, add the eggs and pumpkin and beat until mixed well.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until just combined and no flour mixture is visible.
- Spread into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 21-23 minutes or until the edges begin to brown slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Cut into 24 pieces for large bars, or 48 pieces for small bars.
How to make the cream cheese frosting
- Place the softened cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and continue to mix until no lumps remain.
- Spread an even layer of frosting onto the pumpkin bars.
Tips
- Make sure the eggs, butter and cream cheese are room temperature before you start making the recipe.
- You can mix the pumpkin bar batter and the frosting with a hand-held electric mixer, or by hand. I didn’t have an electric mixer of any kind when I first started cooking and baking so everything was mixed by hand. It takes a little longer, but is totally do-able.
- Sift the powdered sugar to ensure there are no lumps in the frosting.
- These will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Variations
- Add some pumpkin pie spice, a teaspoon or two should be about right.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans would be a great addition, you can either add them to the pumpkin bar batter or top the frosted bars with them.
- Mix in some chocolate chips or butterscotch chips, maybe a cup or so.
- Top the frosted bars with a sprinkle of cinnamon, fall colored sprinkles, miniature pumpkins, or other fall themed candy.
How to freeze pumpkin bars
- Refrigerate the bars so the frosting becomes set, this is the best way to ensure it won’t stick to the plastic wrap. Then wrap individual bars in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. We usually use a freezer zip top bag.
- Thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour. Take the plastic wrap off of the pumpkin bar before you thaw it because it won’t to stick to the frozen frosting.
These freeze beautifully (we do it all the time), even the frosting!
Frequently Asked Questions
A 15 ounce can of pumpkin has about 1 ¾ cups and a 29 ounce can has about 3 ½ cups.
According to the FAQs page on the Very Best Baking website they use pumpkins from the Cucurbitaceae family or gourd family and their product is 100% pure pumpkin.
According to Libby’s FAQ page, if stored properly in an airtight container leftover canned pumpkin will last 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. If freezing be sure to leave enough room in the container because it will expand as it freezes. The pumpkin puree may appear to separate while thawing but this will not affect the texture or taste of the recipe you are making.
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the pumpkin bars:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15 ounces
- cooking spray
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 10" X 15" jelly roll pan with cooking spray.cooking spray
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl.2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until well combined, add eggs and pumpkin and beat until mixed well.1 ⅔ cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 4 eggs, 1 can pumpkin puree
- Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined, and no flour mixture is visible.
- Spread into prepared pan and bake for 21-23 minutes or until the edges begin to brown slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Place softened cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until combined. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and continue to mix until no lumps remain.
- Spread an even layer of frosting onto the pumpkin bars.
- Cut into 24 pieces for large bars, or 48 pieces for small bars.
About Mindy
Mindy has been cooking for over 30 years, starting as a young mother who learned how to create delicious meals on a budget. Today, she shares approachable recipes made with everyday ingredients that are easy, affordable, and family-friendly. Her goal is to show that great food doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.