Description
Delicious and moist pumpkin bars with a creamy cream cheese frosting, perfect for a seasonal treat or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the bars
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
For the frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 x 14-inch jelly roll pan and set aside to ensure the bars don’t stick.
- Make the batter: Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat them. Add the pumpkin puree, neutral oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything together until combined. Then, mix in the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground cinnamon. Whisk again until the batter is completely incorporated but avoid overmixing.
- Bake the bars: Pour the batter into the greased pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a bowl, beat together the room temperature unsalted butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar, mixing to your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost the bars: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into 18 bars and serve.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to prevent tough bars.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to check doneness by inserting it near the center; it should come out clean.
- Sift powdered sugar thoroughly to avoid lumps in the frosting; if lumps remain, discard them.
- Room temperature cream cheese and butter will cream easier, resulting in a smoother frosting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
