Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist and lightly spiced with a decadent cream cheese frosting for a classic and yummy fall treat!
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If you enjoy big-batch recipes baked in a half sheet pan, you'll also love Monster Cookie Bars, Sheet Pan Pancakes, or Lemon Sheet Cake!
Pumpkin season is in full swing, and I've got a new pumpkin treat for y'all this year...soft, moist, decadent Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Because everyone knows that cream cheese frosting makes just about everything better when it comes to desserts... 😉
And its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor are indeed the perfect complement to these sweet, pillowy pumpkin bars!
Aside from being scrumptious and bursting with the flavors of fall, the beauty of this recipe is that it's made in an expansive half sheet pan and yields a big ol' batch!
That means that Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect dessert when you're baking for a group...whether that means a fall party, gathering, or tailgate, treats for neighbors or teachers, Halloween or Thanksgiving festivities, and so much more.
And they're surprisingly easy to make from scratch!
Don't let the fancy cream cheese frosting rosettes in these photos fool you...you can just slather on the frosting in about a minute and everyone will enjoy 'em just as much. 😉
Ingredients
Simple ingredients transform into a quintessential fall dessert!
Because who in their right mind would pass up Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting? 🙂
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, + salt. The dry ingredients.
- Cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice. For warm spice. Incidentally, did you know that it's easy to whip up your own jar of homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice to use all autumn long? 😉
- Pumpkin purée. Homemade or store-bought will work. If you use canned, just make sure it's 100% pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie mix or filling, which has other ingredients added.
- Granulated sugar. For perfectly sweet pumpkin bars.
- Eggs. For structure and binding.
- Greek yogurt. For a moist, soft texture.
- Vegetable oil. I prefer using a neutral oil, like avocado oil, in my baking.
- Pure vanilla extract. For depth of flavor.
And then for the classic cream cheese frosting to smear all over your pumpkin bars, you'll need softened cream cheese and butter, plus powdered sugar and another splash of vanilla!
How to Make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
The basic batter is easy to assemble from scratch!
- Preheat the oven and generously grease a 13x18x1" half sheet pan.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend together the pumpkin purée, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Slowly blend in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth it to the edges.
- Bake until puffed, golden, and the center tests done with a toothpick. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the pumpkin bars cool, make the cream cheese frosting. Beat together the softened butter and the cream cheese. Slowly and gradually blend in the powdered sugar and the vanilla, scraping the bowl as necessary. Then beat on high until smooth and creamy!
- Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the cream cheese frosting in an even layer over the cooled pumpkin bars. Or -- if you're feeling extra ambitious -- you can pipe the frosting on decoratively, as seen below!
And now get ready to sink your teeth into some delectable, pumpkin-licious treats!
Tips + Tricks
When making these Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, it's important to use a true half sheet pan (measuring 18x13x1") to ensure that your batter doesn't overflow. (And if you have any doubt about your pan size, I recommend putting a layer of foil on a lower rack of the oven to catch potential overflow.)
These pumpkin bars are extremely moist, which can make it tricky to cut them without making a mess. So for the neatest slices, it's best to cut them after they are chilled.
Once cold, slice into bars with a thin knife and then use a spatula to remove them from the pan. Wipe the knife between cuts (like brownies) to keep things neat, if necessary.
Yield + Storage
This generous recipe can yield up to 36 pumpkin bars...or less if you prefer to slice them larger. 😉
Leftover Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting should be stored in the refrigerator, where they will keep for up to a week.
I recommend popping the pan in the fridge until the frosting is chilled (and somewhat firm) before tightly covering the pan with plastic wrap.
Or, once the pan of frosted bars is chilled, you can slice and remove them to an airtight container, placing sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers.
That being said, you may choose to remove your Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying.
Whether you prefer to enjoy them as-is or fancy them up with festive fall sprinkles or candies, Halloween decorations, or a humble sprinkle of cinnamon, these Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting will be a hit from September right on through Thanksgiving!
I hope they make your pumpkin season just a little bit sweeter this year. 🙂
More Pumpkin Treats
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
FOR THE PUMPKIN BARS:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil, such as avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- ½ cup 1 stick salted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously grease a 13- by 18-inch rimmed half sheet pan with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until well-combined; set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment), blend together the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, and vanilla at medium speed for 2 minutes. Slowly blend in the dry ingredients until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared sheet pan, spreading to the edges. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until pumpkin bars are puffed, golden, and the center tests done with a toothpick. Set on a rack to cool completely.
- While the pumpkin bars cool, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat together the butter and the cream cheese. Slowly and gradually blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Then beat on high until well-combined, smooth, and creamy.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled bars. Chill before slicing into bars and using a metal spatula to carefully remove from the pan.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- You must use a half sheet pan, measuring 13- by 18- by 1-inches, or your batter may overflow. If you have any doubt about your pan size, put a layer of foil on a lower rack to catch any potential overflow.
- If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you should sift it before making the cream cheese frosting.
- Additionally, you may use more or less powdered sugar, to taste, keeping in mind that more powdered sugar will result in a stiffer frosting.
- These pumpkin bars are really moist, which can make it tricky to cut them without making a mess. So for the neatest slices, it's best to cut them after they are chilled. While they are cold, slice them with a thin knife and then use a spatula to remove them from the pan. Wipe the knife between cuts (like brownies) to keep things neat, if necessary.
- Leftover Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for 5 to 7 days. You can pop the pan in the fridge until the frosting is chilled (and somewhat firm), and then tightly cover the pan with plastic wrap. Or, once the frosting is chilled, you can remove the bars to an airtight container, placing sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers. You may want to remove bars from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying.
