Pumpkin Spice Bars made from scratch & topped with a lovely cream cheese frosting! Simple pumpkin bars made with pumpkin puree & spiced with cinnamon, ginger & cloves.
These easy pumpkin spice cake bars are a soft, moist and pair perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. When the weather begins to change and the leaves start to fall, give this pumpkin cake recipe a try!
Easy Pumpkin Spice Bars
I absolutely adore the taste of pumpkin, so I have tried many, many pumpkin recipes over the years. When I came across this simple pumpkin bar recipe, I was not even slightly surprised at how easily it came together and how delicious they were. What is there not to love about pumpkin flavor and a soft fluffy texture? The first time I served them it was for a large family function and I got nothing but rave reviews! These have gone into my permanent recipe rotation for all things pumpkin spice!
Why you will LOVE these Pumpkin Bars!
In case you need more convincing to try these delicious pumpkin bars, here are a few more reasons why we think you should.
- Quick and easy. To make this amazing pumpkin bar recipe you need less than 10 minutes of prep time, then 30 minutes of baking. You can create a tasty treat in a short amount of time that will impress anyone who tries it.
- Simple ingredients. What I love about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are most likely already in your kitchen. You can whip up a batch without having to buy a bunch of extra ingredients.
- Classic fall flavor! If you are like me and adore fall flavors, you will love this bar recipe. Pumpkin spice is a timeless fall flavor and these pumpkin bars do not disappoint.
Pumpkin Spice Cake Ingredients
Eggs: For this recipe you will need 4 eggs to help create a lovely bread texture.
Sugar: You will need 2 cups of sugar to give this treat just the right amount of sweetness.
Vegetable oil: Adding in 1 cup of vegetable oil will give this the necessary fats to create a nice moist bar.
Pumpkin puree: Use 1 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin puree to give these the most amazing flavor.
Flour: You need 2 cups of flour to bring all the ingredients together, I used whole wheat and it turned out great.
Leavening agents: To help the bars rise nicely as they bake, you need 2 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of baking soda.
Spices: To give this bread an amazing warm spiced taste, use 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger and 1/4 tsp of ground cloves
Salt: To help enhance all the flavors, use 1/2 tsp of salt.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese: You need 1 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese to create this amazing frosting.
Butter: Add in 1/3 cup of butter, softened, to make this frosting taste nice and rich.
Vanilla extract: Use 1 tsp of vanilla extract to give it a wonderful flavor.
Powder sugar: To give this topping just the right amount of sweetness, add in 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Alternate topping option: Browned Butter Frosting
Butter: For the base of this amazing frosting, use 2/3 cup of butter {do not use margarine!}
Powder sugar: You will need 4 cups of powdered sugar to give this amazing flavor.
Vanilla extract: Add in 2 tsp of vanilla extract to help enhance all the wonderful flavors in this frosting.
Milk: Use 4 tbsp of milk to create the perfect frosting consistency.
How to make Pumpkin Spice Bars
Prep
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, lightly grease the bottom and sides of a jelly-roll pan {15x10x1} with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Batter
Next, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and pumpkin puree until smooth.
Then, add in the dry ingredients starting with the flour, baking soda and baking powder, all three spices called for, and lastly the salt. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
Proceed to pour the batter into the prepared pan and lightly shake it to even out the batter.
Bake
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Be sure to allow the bars to fully cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, using an electric handheld mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla extract, mix until smooth.
Spread on top of the bars in a nice even layer, covering the entire surface of the treat.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
Browned Butter Frosting
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until butter turns a nice golden brown. It took mine about 5 minutes and when it turned, it turned very suddenly.
Remove from heat and then add in the powder sugar, vanilla extract and the milk, continue stirring until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread on cake immediately.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
Pumpkin Spice Bars
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
- 15 oz pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup Butter softened
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Powder sugar
Alternate topping option: Browned Butter Frosting
- ⅔ cup Butter {do not use margarine!}
- 4 cups Powder sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp Milk
Instructions
- Prep: Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then, lightly grease the bottom and sides of a jelly-roll pan {15x10x1} with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Batter: Next, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and pumpkin puree until smooth. Then, add in the dry ingredients starting with the flour, baking soda and baking powder, all three spices called for, and lastly the salt. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Proceed to pour the batter into the prepared pan and lightly shake it to even out the batter.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be sure to allow the bars to fully cool before frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric handheld mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powder sugar and vanilla extract, mix until smooth. Spread on top of the bars in a nice even layer, covering the entire surface of the treat. Slice, serve and enjoy!
- Alternate topping option- Browned Butter Frosting: In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until butter turns a nice golden brown. It took mine about 5 minutes and when it turned, it turned very suddenly. Remove from heat and then add in the powder sugar, vanilla extract and the milk, continue stirring until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread on cake immediately. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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How long are pumpkin bars good for?
These delicious bars will be good for 3-5 days, stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. Because of the cream cheese frosting these do need to be stored in the fridge.
Can you freeze pumpkin bars?
Yes you can. After the bars have cooled completely, transfer them into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy them, put them on the counter at room temperature for an hour or so and enjoy. I suggest waiting to add the frosting until when you are ready to enjoy them, frosting doesn’t always hold up well in the freezing process.
If you love pumpkin, give some more amazing recipes a try here!
- Easy Pumpkin Pretzels
- Double No Layer No Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Poke Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie Dip
- The Best Pumpkin Bread
- Apple Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls
- Pumpkin Apple Butter
Pumpkin Spice Bars are an amazing treat with sensational flavors and texture. This spiced pumpkin bread is a homemade treat with simple ingredients that are most likely already in your kitchen and pantry.
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