These pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are soft, moist, and full of warm pumpkin spice flavor. They're easy to make in a 9×13-inch pan and topped with a thick layer of creamy homemade cream cheese frosting.
Looking for more pumpkin inspiration? I've rounded up my favorite 21 Best Pumpkin Recipes for Fall →, including pumpkin cookies, muffins, breads, pies, and more.
These easy pumpkin bars are one of my favorite fall desserts because they're quick to mix together, bake in one pan, and stay soft for days. The pumpkin makes the bars moist and tender, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give them plenty of cozy fall flavor.
The cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch. It's rich, creamy, and slightly tangy, and it pairs beautifully with the sweet pumpkin bars.
Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Bars
- Soft and moist. Pumpkin keeps these bars tender and moist for days.
- Easy to make. The batter comes together in one bowl with simple ingredients.
- Cream cheese frosting. The rich, tangy frosting is the perfect complement to pumpkin.
- Bakes in a 9×13 pan. No special equipment or complicated shaping required.
- Great for a crowd. Cut the bars into squares for an easy fall dessert.
- Make-ahead friendly. The bars can be baked ahead and refrigerated until you're ready to serve them.
- Freezer-friendly. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months.
What Makes These Pumpkin Bars So Good?
These pumpkin bars are essentially a soft pumpkin snack cake topped with cream cheese frosting.
Unlike pumpkin bread, which is baked in a loaf pan, these bars are spread into a 9×13-inch baking dish. This gives you a thinner, softer cake that's easy to cut into squares and serve.
I use a simple combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for the pumpkin spice flavor. You can also substitute pumpkin pie spice if that's what you have in your pantry.
The cream cheese frosting is what really makes these bars special. It's smooth, creamy, and not overly complicated to make.
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Tips for Making the Best Pumpkin Bars
- Don't overbake the bars. Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Overbaking can make pumpkin bars dry.
- Use 100% pumpkin puree. Don't substitute canned pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
- Let the bars cool completely before frosting. If the bars are still warm, the cream cheese frosting will become soft and difficult to spread.
- Use softened cream cheese. Room-temperature cream cheese blends much more easily into the frosting and helps prevent lumps.
- Use pumpkin pie spice if you prefer. You can replace the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with pumpkin pie spice.
- Cut smaller squares for a party. These bars are rich enough that smaller pieces are perfect for dessert tables and gatherings.
- Want to feed a crowd? Double the recipe and bake it in a half-sheet pan. Start checking for doneness around 22 minutes.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- Sugar: I typically bake with a combination of sugar and brown sugar, but the pumpkin puree adds enough moisture that you don't need brown sugar.
- Butter: I bake exclusively with salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you'd like.
- Egg
- Pumpkin puree: 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda and salt: For leavening and flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon*
- Nutmeg*
- Ground cloves*
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melted butter
- Cream cheese, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
*I like using my own combination of spices, but you can use pumpkin pie spice if you'd like.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Pumpkin Bars
Step 1: Mix sugar, butter and egg together.
Add pumpkin and vanilla.
Step 2: Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Step 3: Spread batter in a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.
Step 4: Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled pumpkin bars.
One pan makes 12 bars and they are just as delicious the second day.
How to Cut Pumpkin Bars for a Party
The number of servings depends on how large you cut the squares.
For a family dessert, cut the 9×13-inch pan into 12 larger bars.
For a party, Thanksgiving dessert table, or fall gathering, cut the bars into smaller squares to get more servings from one pan.
If you're doubling the recipe in a half-sheet pan, you'll have plenty of pumpkin bars to serve a crowd.
Pumpkin Bars FAQs
Pumpkin puree is 100% pumpkin that has been cooked and pureed. There are no additional ingredients. Pumpkin pie filling is a sweetened mixture of pumpkin puree, sugar, and spices, and is typically not suitable for use in recipes other than pumpkin pie.
Bake only until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. This will keep the bars moist and soft.
Yes! Freeze bars in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet until firm. Then transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes! You can substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Use enough to give the bars the amount of pumpkin spice flavor you prefer.
Yes! These pumpkin bars are great for making ahead. Bake and cool the bars, then cover and refrigerate them. Frost them before serving or frost them ahead of time and keep the entire pan refrigerated.
Because the frosting contains cream cheese, store the frosted bars in the refrigerator. Cover the pan tightly or place the bars in an airtight container. They'll stay fresh for about 3 days.
Absolutely. A double batch can be baked in a half-sheet pan to make enough pumpkin bars for a larger gathering. Begin checking the bars for doneness around 22 minutes.
Yes! Cream cheese frosting is my favorite, but these pumpkin bars would also be delicious with vanilla buttercream or brown butter frosting.
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Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree ½ can
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Mix sugar, butter and egg together.
- Add pumpkin and vanilla.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Spread batter in a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Mix frosting ingredients together and spread over cooled pumpkin bars.
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