Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

My husbands most requested dessert every year during the holidays. These Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are perfectly spiced, moist, and fluffy. A spread of the most simple, light cream cheese frosting you’ll ever have!

Ok, this is going to sound crazy but I don’t like pumpkin pie. I know! I love the flavor of pumpkin and enjoy baking with it, I’m just not a big pie fan. I’ve had so many different recipes over the years but it is still a no for me. I do like pumpkin cheesecake so at least I’m not a total weirdo.

Pumpkin pie is the quintessential dessert for the Holidays so I wanted to find a pumpkin treat I could enjoy and add to the Holiday table. Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting has all the warm flavors and spices as pumpkin pie only in cake form. The cream cheese frosting is silky and light and not too sweet. The cake is moist and dense. It’s basically perfect in my opinion.

When it comes to Holiday food, it’s nice to have a few easy go-to recipes. These Pumpkin Bars are simple to make using basic ingredients. I can literally throw this together in 15-minutes.

Ingredients For Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting:

Bars:

• Eggs
• Butter
• Apple sauce (unsweetened)
• Pure pumpkin puree
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Ground cinnamon
• Pumpkin pie spice

Frosting:

• Real light cream cheese (not Neufchatel cream cheese)
• Powdered sugar
• Pure vanilla extract
• Pumpkin pie spice

If you like a thicker layer of cream cheese frosting feel free to double the batch!

How To Make Pumpkin Bars:

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs, butter, apple sauce, pumpkin puree, and both sugars until fluffy.

Step 3. Sift dry ingredients including cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice over wet ingredients. Add salt and mix on low until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Step 4. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. I give it a shake to even out the batter. Place in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until set and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Step 6. While cake cools, make frosting. Add all the frosting ingredients to a medium size bowl. Use a mixer to blend until smooth and creamy. The frosting should be thick but still spreadable. It too thick, start with 1 tsp milk to thin out. Frost cake and dust with pumpkin pie spice. Slice and serve!

I’m confidant you’ll love these Pumpkin Bars and become a new favorite treat to celebrate the season!

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Harvest Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rate The Recipe⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I appreciate your comments and reviews! Be sure to leave a comment or rating below for suggestions, questions, or if you make the recipe. I’d love to know how it turned out for you!

Let’s eat!🤍

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

My husbands most requested dessert every year during the holidays. These Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are perfectly spiced, moist, and fluffy. A moderate spread of the most simple, light, cream cheese frosting you'll ever have!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 bars

Calories: 238kcal

Ingredients

For the bars

• 4 eggs
• 1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin I use Libby's
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Cream cheese frosting

• 1 8-ounce package light cream cheese at room temperature not Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pumpkin pie spice for dusting on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter

• In a large bowl add eggs, pumpkin puree, apple sauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cooled butter. Beat on medium speed with electric mixer or stand mixer until combined and batter is fluffy.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice over wet ingredients. Add salt and mix on low until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
• Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. I usually give it a shake to even out the batter. Place in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until set and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before frosting.

Make frosting

• Add frosting ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix using an electric mixer on low until creamy and smooth. You want the frosting to be thick but still spreadable. If too thick, add 1 tsp of milk to thin it out. Use more if needed.
• Once bars are cooled, frost and dust the top with pumpkin pie spice. Cut into 18 bars or as small as you like.

Notes

Storage:

Store leftovers in refrigerator up to 1 week. Make sure to cover tightly so the cake doesn’t dry out. Let set at room temperature for 5 minutes to give the cream cheese a chance to soften. 

Nutritional facts include 1 bar out of 18 total. 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal

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