• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Dessert » Pumpkin Bars

Published: September 12, 2019 Last Modified: September 12, 2019 By Sara 24 Comments

Pumpkin Bars

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Pumpkin Bars Recipe | Pumpkin Cake | Pumpkin Dessert #pumpkin #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving

These pumpkin bars are light and fluffy cake bars made with pumpkin puree and spices, then topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. A fall favorite dessert that’s perfect for feeding a crowd!

It’s that time of the year for all things pumpkin! My family loves pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin gooey butter cake, and of course these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Bars Recipe | Pumpkin Cake | Pumpkin Dessert #pumpkin #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving Pumpkin Bars Recipe | Pumpkin Cake | Pumpkin Dessert #pumpkin #fall #dessert #dinneratthezoo #thanksgiving

A stack of pumpkin bars topped with frosting and sprinkles.

Fall is finally here, and with it comes every pumpkin treat imaginable! I’m sharing a classic today with these lightly spiced pumpkin bars. This is essentially a pumpkin sheet cake topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting.

How do you make pumpkin bars?

This is a one bowl recipe of pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, flour and eggs. The batter gets poured into a pan, then is baked until the bars are golden brown. After the bars have cooled, it’s time to add a generous amount of cream cheese frosting. Add some festive sprinkles if you like, then slice into squares and enjoy!

Pumpkin puree, brown sugar and flour in a bowl.

This recipe calls for a jelly roll sized pan which is 10″x 15″. You can try to make this recipe in a 9″ x 13″ pan, but the bars will be thicker and take longer to cook. I prefer the thinner bars so that you end up with the perfect cake to frosting ratio.

A pan of pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting on top.

How do you make cream cheese frosting?

This cream cheese frosting is made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. You can make your cream cheese frosting as thick or as thin as you’d like. Simply add more powdered sugar to make the frosting thicker, or add milk, a teaspoon at a time, to thin out the frosting.

A pan of pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles.

Tips for pumpkin bars

  • Use an offset spatula to make sure both your pumpkin bar batter and frosting are spread in even layers.
  • Top your bars with festive fall sprinkles or candy pumpkins to dress them up!
  • Don’t be tempted to use pumpkin pie filling here, it’s not the same thing as pumpkin puree and you will not get good results.
  • Pumpkin bars keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep your bars loosely covered, and it’s best to cut them just before serving.
  • You can reduce the fat content of these bars by using 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil instead of the full cup of oil that the recipe calls for. Just be aware the texture may be a little different in the end product.
  • To make these pumpkin bars even more decadent, add a cup of miniature chocolate chips to the batter before you bake it.

A baking sheet of frosted pumpkin bars.

I make these pumpkin bars all through the fall months. They’re great for class parties, as an afternoon snack, or for a Thanksgiving dessert to feed a crowd. They’re a fall tradition in my house!

More fall desserts

  • No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • Fried Apple Pies
  • Pecan Pie Bars
  • Caramel Apple Dip
  • Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Bars Video

A stack of pumpkin bars topped with frosting and sprinkles.
Print Pin
4.69 from 16 votes

Pumpkin Bars

These pumpkin bars are light and fluffy cake bars made with pumpkin puree and spices, then topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. A fall favorite dessert that's perfect for feeding a crowd!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 24
Calories 257kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the bars

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin puree do not use pumpkin pie filling
  • cooking spray

For the frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • sprinkles for decoration optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10”x15” pan with parchment paper, then coat the pan with cooking spray.
  • Place the flour, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Add the vanilla extract, eggs, vegetable oil and pumpkin puree to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
  • Spread the batter evenly into the pan.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Cool completely in the pan.
  • Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and mix until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 
  • Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mix on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  • Spread the frosting evenly over the pumpkin bars. Top with sprinkles. Cut into squares and serve, or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 110mg | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 3040IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @DinnerAtTheZoo or tag #dinneratthezoo!

This post was originally published on September 27, 2018 and was updated on September 12, 2019 with new content.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Filed Under: Dessert

FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

    ​
    ​

    Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

    « Sausage Egg Casserole
    Homemade Cinnamon Rolls »

    Comments

    1. Joanne says

      September 16, 2022 at 5:59 pm

      1 star
      No seed oil. Very unhealthy! Can you use butter?

      Reply
    2. Carol says

      October 3, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      Easy, moist and flavorful! Perfect recipe.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More

    Winter Soups

    A bowl of chicken pot pie soup with a biscuit on top.

    Chicken Pot Pie Soup

    This hearty farro soup recipe is filled with turkey meatballs, white beans and kale. It's the perfect easy and nutritious dinner option!

    Farro Soup with Meatballs

    A bowl of crock pot chicken noodle soup with carrots, garnished with parsley.

    Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

    A bowl of chicken stew with celery, potatoes, green beans and peas.

    Chicken Stew Recipe

    A bowl of ham and potato soup loaded with veggies in a creamy broth.

    Ham and Potato Soup

    A bowl of egg drop soup garnished with green onions.

    Easy Egg Drop Soup

    More Posts from this Category

    Featured Recipes

    Veggie pinwheels on a board filled with bell peppers, carrots, cabbage and spinach.

    Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

    A bowl of sweet and spicy firecracker chicken.

    Firecracker Chicken

    A slow cooker full of cooked chicken breasts topped with marsala wine and mushroom sauce.

    Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala

    Chicken and green beans coated in honey garlic sauce.

    Chicken and Green Beans

    FREE TOOLKIT: 5 Secrets to Meal Planning

    Learn my 5 Meal Planning Secrets & get my Meal Planning Toolkit...FREE!

      ​
      ​

      Categories

      Sites I am featured In
      PRIVACY POLICY ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2022.
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • RSS
      • Twitter
      • About Me
      • Contact Me
      • All Recipes
      • Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Dessert
      • One Pot Meals
      • Slow Cooker
      • Asian Food