Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lusciously decadent Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese frosting are packed with pumpkin and delicious fall pumpkin pie spice flavor! They’re the perfect autumn dessert. Bring them to your next party or Thanksgiving dinner and watch them disappear!

Ahhhh pumpkin. It’s great in cakes, chili, pasta, hummus, cookies, and even curry. In fact, stay tuned, because I have a pumpkin curry recipe coming at ya in a few. But for now we’re focusing on these lusciously decadent Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. Because I’m all about dessert first. As my mom would say, Why not?

Let me tell you about these babies. They’re they ultimate fall dessert, packed with pumpkin and flavored with pumpkin pie spice (a fall MUST). They’re baked to perfection and come out so moist and perfectly browned. THEN they’re topped with a smooth and rich cream cheese frosting. Sounds simple enough, right? Good, because these Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting totally are simple. But when your family and friends taste them, they’ll think you spent hours in the kitchen–when really you’ll spend less than one hour. And a large part of that is baking time, when you can relax, check something off your to-do list, plan Thanksgiving dinner, or (if you’re super-on-top-of-things) order Christmas presents. Whatever you choose to do, you’re going to enjoy the delightful fall pumpkin smell wafting from your oven–no candle required! 🙂

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Erin (adapted from Taste of Home)

Serves: 12 bars

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 4 eggs
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 15-oz can pumpkin
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• FROSTING
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin until well blended.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to pumpkin mixture until combined.
4. Pour into an ungreased 13x9" baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (mine was perfect after 34) or until set. Cool completely.
5. For frosting, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a bowl. Add just enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over bars. Store remaining bars in refrigerator. Enjoy!

3.5.3208