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Pumpkin Bars are soft, moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with an incredibly fluffy, creamy, homemade heavenly cream cheese frosting. The perfect fall dessert recipe!
You can never have too many pumpkin bar recipes for pumpkin season – try some of these other family favorites like Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars or Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars.
Classic Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you’re looking for an easy recipe for a classic fall dessert, that everyone will love, these pumpkin bars are just the thing. They’re so soft, moist, tender, and filled with that cozy warm pumpkin spice flavor. Once baked, the pumpkin bars are topped with a rich and tangy cream cheese frosting that makes every bite irresistible.
These homemade pumpkin bars come together quickly with simple pantry staple ingredients. They are also ideal to make ahead, which makes them a great dessert for fall entertaining, thanksgiving dessert, fall bake sales, or just when you need a cozy and perfect fall treat full of pumpkin flavor.
So let’s make a batch and watch these dessert bars disappear so fast ❤
Why You’ll Love This Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe
- 🍂 Easy To Make : No complicated techniques or special equipment required.
- 🍁 Soft and Moist : Pumpkin puree and a neutral oil keeps the bars tender, soft, with a moist texture.
- 🎃 Perfectly Spiced : Pumpkin pie spice adds plenty of cozy flavors.
- 🍂 Rich Cream Cheese Frosting : Cream cheese frosting + pumpkin are match made in heaven! The homemade cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch.
- 🍁 Great For a Crowd : This best pumpkin bar recipe bakes up in a large 10×15-inch baking pan, which makes plenty of servings for everyone.
- 🎃 Make-Ahead Friendly : They taste even better after the flavors have had time to come together. See my tips for options!
Full List of Ingredients Needed
Best Pumpkin Bars Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour : I use unbleached all-purpose flour
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt : I use sea salt when baking
- 100% Pumpkin Puree : A 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin
- Granulated Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Large Eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Salted Butter : Softened
- Cream Cheese : Softened or room temperature
- Powdered Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
How To Make Moist Pumpkin Bars (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10″x15″-inch sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray, and then line it with parchment paper (optional but it ensures the bars don’t stick).
In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients; all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk to combine, and set aside.
In a large bowl, or bowl of stand mixer, add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, for 1 to 2 minutes, until thoroughly combined well.
Add the flour mixture into the large bowl of wet ingredients, and beat on low speed just until combined and no flour streaks remain in the batter.
Spread the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently touched. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature.
Once the pumpkin bars are completely cooled, you can prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add the butter and cream cheese into a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined well and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until combined.
Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Spread the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars, cut into squares, and enjoy the bars at room temperature or chilled in the fridge.
How To Store Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
The pumpkin bars can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours once frosted, and then they need to be stored in an airtight container, or cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Serve the bars chilled. Or you can serve them fresh at room temperature right after frosting them.
The frosting does contain cream cheese and therefore needs to be stored in the refrigerator for food safety reasons due to the dairy. Once the bars are frosted, they need to be refrigerate within 1 to 2 hours.
You can make and prepare the pumpkin bars up to 24 hours in advance, leave them out at room temperature covered, and then frost when you’re ready to serve the bars.
I prefer the cream cheese frosting chilled so I make the pumpkin bars the night before and let them sit covered at room temperature until the morning. Then I frost them, cover the pan, and let them refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- For an egg-free option, use ¼ cup applesauce per egg. Sweetened or unsweetened applesauce; whichever you prefer. Using applesauce will slightly change the texture of the bars to more of a sponge-like cake texture.
- Make sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling. The cans look similar, and they cannot be substituted for each other.
- For the best thick and creamy texture, and best taste, I recommend using full-fat cream cheese in the frosting. You could use lite or reduced-fat cream cheese (neufchâtel) if wanted, but I prefer the real cream cheese.
- Because of the cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin bars do need to be refrigerated; You can frost and serve the bars fresh at room temperature, or frost the bars and then chill them for a few hours for a chilled cream cheese frosting. I prefer the cream cheese frosting to be chilled so I always let the frosted pumpkin bars chill in the fridge before serving.
- Take note of the size of pan needed for this recipe. It’s a 10″x15″ baking sheet pan, so slightly larger than a traditional 9×13-inch cake pan. I have linked the one I use in the recipe card below.
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
- Bakery Style Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Crinkle Cookies)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Banana Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Perfect Pumpkin Muffins
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
- The BEST Easy Pumpkin Poke Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars (With Shortbread Crust)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Whoopie Pies (Only 5 Ingredients)
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
- 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter softened
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (½ of an 8 ounce bar, softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10"x15"-inch sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray, and then line it with parchment paper.* The parchment paper is optional, it's just an option to ensure the bars don't stick. I have used it and not used it, and they've turned out fine both ways.
Pumpkin Bars
- In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients; all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk to combine, and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, or bowl of stand mixer, add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, for 1 to 2 minutes, until thoroughly combined well.1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
- Add the flour mixture into the large bowl of wet ingredients, and beat on low speed just until combined and no flour streaks remain in the batter.
- Spread the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently touched.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. About 1 hour.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter and cream cheese into a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined well and fluffy.1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.3 cups powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.* It's really important to beat for several minutes to create that whipped texture. Beat on medium speed or increase the speed as needed.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Spread the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars, cut into squares, and enjoy the bars at room temperature or chilled in the fridge. * The pumpkin bars can be served right away, or cover the pan with a lid or plastic wrap and let them refrigerate for a few hours if you prefer a chilled pumpkin bar + a chilled cream cheese frosting. The bars are delicious both ways.
Notes
- For an egg-free option, use ¼ cup applesauce per egg. Sweetened or unsweetened applesauce; whichever you prefer. Using applesauce will slightly change the texture of the bars to more of a sponge-like cake texture.
- Make sure you are using 100% pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling. The cans look similar, and they cannot be substituted for each other.
- For the best thick and creamy texture, and best taste, I recommend using full-fat cream cheese in the frosting. You could use lite or reduced-fat cream cheese (neufchâtel) if wanted, but I prefer the real cream cheese.
- Because of the cream cheese frosting, leftovers of these pumpkin bars do need to be refrigerated; You can frost and serve the bars fresh at room temperature, or frost the bars and then chill them for a few hours for a chilled cream cheese frosting. I prefer the cream cheese frosting to be chilled so I always let the frosted pumpkin bars chill in the fridge before serving.
- Take note of the size of pan needed for this recipe. It’s a 10″x15″ baking sheet pan (also called a jelly roll pan), so it is slightly larger than a traditional 9×13-inch cake pan. I have linked the one I use in the recipe card above.
Nutrition
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