This Easy Pumpkin Bar Recipe is so simple to make! Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect fall treat. Rich and delicious!
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These easy pumpkin bars are incredibly delicious! Spicy, warm, soft, and moist - they are the perfect little treat to serve with a warm drink or pumpkin spice latte.
When it comes to Fall treats, theres nothing better than pumpkin bars! These pumpkin spice bars are simple, delicate, spicy, and incredibly tasty all at the same time.
Why You'll Love This Recipe for Pumpkin Bars
These pumpkin bars are incredibly delicious! But that’s not the only thing you’ll love
- They are easy to make
- You’ll get a good-sized batch (not too large, not too little. Perfect!)
- They are freezer friendly
- These bars are spicy and warm
- Super moist
- Kind of like a hybrid between a pie and a cake
Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe Ingredients
To make easy pumpkin bars you'll need:
- vegetable oil
- brown sugar
- white sugar
- eggs
- pumpkin puree
- baking powder
- pumpkin pie spice
- all purpose flour
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Bars
Making pumpkin bars is easy! Here's how to do it:
- In a bowl beat the oil with the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and egg yolks until incorporated.
- Add the pumpkin puree and continue beating until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated, you don’t want to overmix it.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bars.
- Allow the bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
- In a bowl whip together powdered sugar and room temperature cream cheese until smooth.
Storing Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Storing: You can store these pumpkin bars for up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can you freeze pumpkin bars? : You can freeze pumpkin bars for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Make sure to tightly wrap in them in plastic wrap. Thaw completely before enjoying.
Once you are ready to eat them, you can pop them quickly in the toaster or the oven and have pumpkin bars that taste just as if they were freshly baked.
How long can pumpkin bars sit out? These pumpkin bars shouldn't sit out for more than an hour. The frosting has dairy in it, so they are best kept chilled!
Do pumpkin bars have to be refrigerated? Yes! Pumpkin bars need to be refrigerated. They have a custard-like texture and a cream cheese frosting that need to be kept refrigerated.
How long can you keep pumpkin bars in the refrigerator? Pumpkin bars can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Pumpkin Bar Recipe Substitutions
Vegetable Oil: You can use any oil in this recipe. Olive oil, melted coconut oil and avocado oil will all work. I haven't tried melted butter but that might also work!
Sugar: We don't recommend substituting white sugar unless you have to, but White sugar can be used interchangeably with brown sugar. You can add 1 teaspoon of molasses to white sugar to make brown sugar. Check out this post on Sugar Substitutes for Baking for other ideas.
Eggs: We don't recommend substituting eggs, but you can read this article on Egg Substitutions for Baking if you need to substitute. Try it at your own risk! The eggs help give these pumpkin bars a rich creamy texture
All Purpose Flour: We don't recommend substituting the flour, but you can check out this article on Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour or Substitutions for All-Purpose Flour
Baking Powder: Baking powder is essential for this recipe. Do NOT substitute with baking soda.
What’s the difference between pumpkin bars and pumpkin cake
This is why I’m so passionate about pumpkin bars: They are NOT the same as pumpkin cake.
A pumpkin cake is, well, cakey. A cake is usually on the airy and drier side of the dessert spectrum.
Pumpkin bars, on the other hand, are super moist and thick and creamy. They are more similar in texture to a fudgy brownie. So they are like a hybrid between a cake and pie filling.
If you want a dessert that's in between a cake and a bar - try these Pumpkin Brownies!
How many calories in a pumpkin bar? There is about 480 calories in one of these pumpkin bars.
More Fall Recipes You'll Love
- Apple Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Loaf
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Rice Krispies
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Soft Pumpkin Cookies
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Easy Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
Frosting
- 12 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a bowl beat the oil with the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and egg yolks until incorporated.
- Add the pumpkin puree and continue beating until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until just incorporated, you don’t want to overmix it.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bars.
- Allow the bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
- In a bowl whip together powdered sugar and room temperature cream cheese until smooth.
- Frost bars & enjoy!
Emmeline Kemperyd
These pumpin bars look absolutely delicious! I'm looking to cook more with pumpkin this fall and this recipe will be on my list of things to try!
Chris Collins
This recipe is perfect for the start of Fall! Can't wait to try it 🙂
Shashi
I love pumpkin everything and these bars sound so tasty - not to mention they are so easy to make - looking forward to trying this recipe soon!
Vicky
These bars sound like the perfect combo with my morning coffee. 🙂 Getting in the mood for all things pumpkin! Can't wait to try!
Danielle Wolter
Perfect for the Fall season coming up! These sound delicious and will be amazing when I bring to Thanksgving.