These pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting bake in one 9×13 pan and come out soft, dense, and warmly spiced, closer to a blondie than a cake. If you like a pumpkin dessert that feeds a crowd without much fuss, these sit right alongside this pumpkin sheet cake. They’re easy to make, they cut into 24 squares, and the tangy frosting keeps every bite from tipping too sweet.
An Easy Pumpkin Bar Recipe That Feels Like an Old-Fashioned Fall Favorite
Most pumpkin bars taste like pumpkin sheet cake cut into squares. These don’t. Melted butter, brown sugar, an extra egg yolk, and a fairly small amount of pumpkin give them a texture that’s dense and a little chewy. You still get all that warm cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove flavor, just in a bar you can pick up and eat with one hand.
That makes them a good fit for the places a fork isn’t practical. Bake sales, tailgates, class parties, church suppers. They travel well in the pan they were baked in, which is the same reason a pumpkin dump cake or a pan of pumpkin lush shows up on so many fall dessert tables. Everything comes from the grocery store, and you don’t need a mixer for the bars themselves.
The cream cheese frosting is plain on purpose. Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little salt. No maple, no extra spice, nothing fancy. Sweet spiced pumpkin needs something tangy across the top, and this frosting does that job without taking over. If pumpkin and cream cheese is your combination, you will also love these pumpkin cheesecake bars with their graham cracker crust, and this pumpkin fluff for the no-bake nights.
Building the whole dessert table? Start with these easy fall desserts and these easy potluck desserts for recipes that travel well and always get asked for.
FAQs
Not these. A lot of pumpkin bar recipes bake up like pumpkin sheet cake, but this one is built to be denser and more like a blondie. The melted butter, brown sugar, extra egg yolk, smaller amount of pumpkin, and minimal leavening are what give them that soft, dense, slightly chewy texture.
Overbaking is the usual reason. Too much flour or extra leavening will do it too. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the container, and pull the pan when the center is just set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
They probably need a few more minutes in the oven. The bars should be moist and dense, but the center shouldn’t look wet or raw. Ovens vary, so go by the visual cue and the toothpick test rather than the clock alone.
No. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices already added, which changes both the flavor and the texture of these bars. Use plain canned pumpkin puree. Homemade puree works as long as it’s a similar consistency, and if yours is watery, drain off some of the liquid before measuring.
Yes. Replace the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves with pumpkin pie spice. Blends vary by brand, so start with 3 ½ to 4 teaspoons and adjust to taste.
Both work. Fold chopped pecans, walnuts, or semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips into the finished batter right before you spread it in the pan. Nuts will make the bars a little more substantial and change the texture slightly.
Yes. Bake the bars a day ahead and keep them covered until you’re ready to frost. The frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated too. Let it soften a little and stir or beat it briefly before spreading.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, store frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor. Unfrosted bars can be wrapped tightly and kept at room temperature for a day or refrigerated for 3 days. They freeze well either frosted or unfrosted. Freeze them in a single layer until firm, then wrap well and move them to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below that has the printable, full ingredient list and instructions.
For the Bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter – Melted butter gives these bars their rich flavor and dense, chewy, blondie-like texture instead of a light cake crumb.
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed – Brings sweetness, moisture, chew, and a warm caramel flavor that works with pumpkin and spices.
- ¼ cup granulated sugar – Adds sweetness, balances the moisture from the pumpkin, and helps with the structure of the bars.
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk – The whole egg provides structure and binds everything together. The extra yolk adds richness without the extra moisture another whole egg would bring.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Rounds out the brown sugar, pumpkin, and warm spices.
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree – Adds pumpkin flavor, moisture, and color. Use plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour – Gives the bars enough structure to hold up while staying soft.
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder – A small amount of lift without making the bars light and cakey.
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda – Adds a touch of leavening and helps with browning.
- 1 teaspoon salt – Balances the sweetness and brings the pumpkin and spice flavors forward.
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon – The primary warm spice in the bars.
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger – Adds a little heat and brightness to the spice blend.
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg – Warm and earthy, and it plays well with pumpkin.
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves – Adds a subtle aromatic depth.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened – The tang and the creamy texture the frosting is known for.
- ½ cup butter, softened – Softens the tang of the cream cheese and makes the frosting smooth and spreadable.
- 2 cups powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting while keeping it smooth.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla – Adds flavor and complements the spices in the bars.
- ½ teaspoon salt – Balances the powdered sugar and brings out the cream cheese flavor.
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 baking pan with a small amount of baking spray and lay in a piece of parchment paper. Set it aside and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the ¾ cup of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and the ¼ cup of granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Let it cool slightly.
- Whisk the egg, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Add the ⅔ cup of pumpkin puree and whisk until it’s completely incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of cloves, ¾ teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together just until no dry streaks remain. Don’t overmix.
- Fill the prepared 9×13 pan with the batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. The bars should stay soft and dense rather than turning cakey or dry.
- Cool completely before frosting.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and ½ cup of softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled bars.
- For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate the frosted bars briefly before slicing. Cut into 24 squares, 6 rows by 4 rows.
Tips
- Don’t overbake. This is the one that matters most. Pull the bars when the center is set but a toothpick still picks up a few moist crumbs.
- Let the butter and sugar mixture cool slightly before the eggs go in. You don’t want it hot.
- Spoon and level the flour instead of scooping. Too much flour makes the bars dry and less tender.
- Use the parchment paper. It makes lifting the cooled slab out of the pan and slicing it much easier.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and butter for the frosting. It’s the difference between smooth and lumpy.
- Cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm bars will soften the cream cheese frosting.
- A metal pan gives the best results for this texture. Glass or ceramic will work. For thicker, cakier bars, bake in a 9×9 or 8×8 pan and plan on 25 to 30 minutes.
More Recipes
If you love pumpkin desserts like this one, then you’ll also love these:
Recipe
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ⅛ cups light brown sugar, packed 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- Prepare a 9×13 baking pan with a small amount of baking spray and lay in a piece of parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the melted butter off the heat, until smooth and glossy. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Add the pumpkin and whisk until completely incorporated.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture with a rubber spatula, just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled bars.
- Chill the frosted bars briefly for the cleanest cuts, then cut into 24 squares, 6 rows by 4 rows.
Notes
- Don’t overbake. The center should be set with a few moist crumbs on the toothpick. This is what keeps the bars dense instead of cakey.
- Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Spoon and level the flour rather than scooping it straight from the container.
- Cool the bars completely before frosting so the frosting doesn’t melt.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese and butter for a smooth frosting.
- A metal pan gives the best results. For thicker, cakier bars, use a 9×9 or 8×8 pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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