Description
Delightfully moist and spiced pumpkin bars topped with a creamy, smooth cream cheese frosting. Perfect for fall gatherings or a comforting sweet treat any time of year, these bars combine warm spices with rich pumpkin puree and a luscious frosting for an irresistible dessert.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pumpkin Bars Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or avocado oil, or any mild-flavored oil)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 (8-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 cups sifted powdered sugar*
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of the bars.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, fine sea salt, and baking soda until evenly mixed.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet pumpkin mixture. Stir gently until completely combined, being careful not to over-mix to maintain a tender texture.
- Bake the Bars: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean, indicating they are fully baked.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and allow the bars to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, mixing well until the frosting reaches your desired thickness and sweetness.
- Frost and Serve: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled pumpkin bars. Slice into 12 servings and enjoy this moist and flavorful treat.
Notes
- Powdered Sugar: For a super-smooth cream cheese frosting, always sift powdered sugar before adding it to the mixture to avoid lumps.
- Storage: Store leftover bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze bars for up to 3 months. You can also cover the baking dish tightly with foil if you prefer not to transfer the bars to a separate container.
- Adaptation: This recipe is adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen, originally inspired by Paula Deen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 1/12th of recipe)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
