As the weather gets cooler and sweater weather rolls in, there's nothing quite like the comfort of homemade pumpkin bars! These moist bars are perfectly spiced and topped with a silky cream cheese frosting. Whether you're serving these as an afternoon snack, or a dessert at Thanksgiving, they're sure to become your new go-to fall dessert.

Ingredients
To make these homemade pumpkin bars, you will need the following ingredients:
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour, or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour for this recipe. You can also use cake flour for a light and tender texture.
- Fine sea salt. A touch of salt will bring out the flavors in any dessert!
- Baking soda & baking powder. The combination of these two leavening agents will give you a fluffy and moist texture.
- Pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have any, use 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅜ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅜ teaspoon ground cloves.
- Pumpkin purée. You'll need one 15-oz (425g) can of pure pumpkin purée for this pumpkin bars recipe.
- Oil. Use a neutral flavor oil, like avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Granulated sugar & brown sugar. The combination of the two sugars give these bars a tender and moist texture and the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Eggs. Use large eggs in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste will give the best flavor in both the pumpkin bars and the cream cheese frosting.
- Butter. You can use regular butter, unsalted butter, or vegan butter sticks. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to your cream cheese frosting. If using vegan butter sticks, make sure it contains 80% fat (8 grams of fat per 2 teaspoons).
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia is best), or dairy-free cream cheese (I love the one by Violife).
- Powdered sugar. To sweeten up the frosting.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Set it aside.
Step 3: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix just until combined.
Step 5: Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a couple of crumbs. Let it cool completely.
Step 6: Make the frosting. In a bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese to a large bowl and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat again.
Step 7: Assemble. Spread the frosting on the cooled pumpkin bars. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
Use pure pumpkin purée. Don't use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. Be sure to use pure pumpkin purée in a can.
Use fresh spices. Check to make sure you're not using pumpkin pie spice from the 90s! For the best flavor, use freshly ground spices or a relatively fresh jar of pumpkin pie spice.
Don't overmix. Overmixing the batter can lead you to tough bars. Only mix just until combined and you don't see any pockets of dry flour.
Check for doneness. Because ovens vary and some run hotter than others, start checking for doneness at the 28-minute mark to make sure you don't overbake and end up with dry bars.
Toppings
Here are some fun topping ideas for these bars:
- Buttercream frosting. If you don't like cream cheese frosting, or you want something shelf stable, top these bars with good ol' buttercream frosting.
- Whipped cream. If you prefer something light and airy, try topping your bars with some whipped cream!
- Chopped nuts. Top these easy pumpkin bars with chopped toasted pecans, almonds, or walnuts for an added crunch.
- Caramel drizzle. Drizzle on some caramel sauce to make this an indulgent dessert.
- Chopped chocolate. Chop up your favorite chocolate bar and sprinkle it on top!
- Powdered sugar. Keep these pumpkin bars light and simple without any frosting, and just a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Storing Leftovers
Keep your pumpkin bars fresh by storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be stored for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you plan on making these bars ahead or storing leftovers for longer than 4 days, I highly recommend freezing them. Wrap each pumpkin bar with a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, and put it in a freezer bag or container. You can keep them frozen for a couple of months. Take them out to defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
Although you can make your own pumpkin purée by cooking and blending a fresh pumpkin, the texture
Yes! Simply swap out the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour, and let your batter rest for 20-30 minutes before baking it in the oven. My favorite flour to use is Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
The only part that contains dairy in this pumpkin bars recipe is the cream cheese frosting. You can use vegan butter sticks and vegan cream cheese, make a dairy-free buttercream frosting, or serve this without a frosting.
Yes. Cream cheese, and cream cheese frosting, need to be kept in the fridge. If you want a shelf-stable pumpkin bar, you can swap out the cream cheese frosting for regular buttercream frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you love anything with pumpkin and you can't get enough of it, here are some more pumpkin recipes for you to try:
- This gluten free pumpkin bread is tender, moist, and perfectly spiced!
- My dairy free pumpkin pie is my favorite fall pie. The rich creamy filling pairs perfectly with the crisp crust! Make this vegan pumpkin pie instead if you don't eat eggs.
- If you want something a little different, try these pumpkin blondies or these pumpkin cheesecake brownies. Both deliciously pair pumpkin with chocolate, and are perfect for sharing!
- And if you've had enough pumpkin sweets and need something savory, try this vegan pumpkin soup. It's creamy, hearty, and will keep you warm this sweater weather!
Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 15 oz pumpkin purée
- ⅔ cup avocado oil any neutral flavored oil will work
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, add the pumpkin purée, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a couple of crumbs. Let it cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a bowl, add the room temperature butter and cream cheese to a large bowl and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat again.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled pumpkin bars. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
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