Categorized:

  • Brownies & Bars
  • Desserts
  • Fall Faves
  • Thanksgiving

Tagged:

  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • cinnamon
  • cloves
  • cream cheese
  • eggs
  • flour
  • ginger
  • nutmeg
  • powdered sugar
  • pumpkin
  • sugar
  • vanilla extract
Homemade pumpkin bars stacked on a blue plate. - 1

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bars

  • 2 cups (256 g) unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon and level to measure)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger*
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces**
  • 1 cup packed (200 g) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (not pie filling)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • For the pumpkin bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15 by 10-inch rimmed jellyroll pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  • Place butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Heat in microwave until melted (I recommend covering the bowl. It takes about 30 to 60 seconds). Let it cool slightly.
  • Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and vanilla extract to melted butter then whisk until well combined.
  • Pour flour mixture in with wet ingredients and fold and stir mixture with a rubber spatula until combined.
  • Pour and spread mixture evenly into prepared baking sheet using an offset spatula.
  • Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 22 to 25 minutes.
  • Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  • For the cream cheese frosting: Add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl.
  • Using an electric hand mixer blend on low speed until combined, then increase speed to high and whip until light and fluffy about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Spread frosting over cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into squares.

Notes

  • *If you like more spice flavor increase ginger to 1/2 tsp and cloves to 1/4 tsp.
  • **This recipe is also delicious using browned butter if you are looking for one more layer of flavor then brown in a light colored skillet, pour into heat proof mixing bowl and let cool 10 minutes before proceeding.
  • Store in the fridge in an airtight container. They should be stored in a single layer if frosting isn’t chilled yet.
  • Bring bars to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before serving. Bars can also be frozen.

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