Name: Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled); 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*; 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil*; 3 large eggs; 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar; 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar; 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup; 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree*; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*; 1/8 teaspoon salt; optional: sprinkles for decorating

If you’re craving a cozy, spiced treat that’s bursting with pumpkin flavor and topped with a luscious frosting, you’re going to fall head over heels for this Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. I absolutely love how these bars come out soft but sturdy—a texture that’s perfect for cutting into squares without crumbling all over the place. When I first tried this recipe, it quickly became my family’s fall favorite. So, pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s chat about why these pumpkin bars might just be the best you’ve ever baked.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfect Texture: These bars are soft and sturdy, making them easy to slice and serve without falling apart.
Balanced Flavor: The blend of pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup creates a rich, warmly spiced taste in every bite.
Cream Cheese Frosting: The spiced cream cheese frosting is creamy, slightly tangy, and the perfect finishing touch.
Easy to Make: You’ll find the recipe straightforward, even if you don’t bake often.

The image shows a close-up of square cake pieces arranged tightly together on a white marbled surface. Each cake piece has two layers: a dark brown, moist-looking cake base, and a thick, smooth white frosting on top. The frosting is decorated with small, colorful Halloween-themed sprinkles in orange, yellow, white, and gold, including round dots and star shapes. Two of the cake squares have a small, round pumpkin decoration made of tiny, tightly packed candy beads in orange, green, and black, positioned near the center. One cake piece in the middle is lifted slightly, revealing its soft, crumbly texture inside and the frosting layer on top. The photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, pumpkin bars recipe, fall dessert recipes, pumpkin spice bars, easy pumpkin dessert

Ingredients You’ll Need

Each ingredient in this recipe plays its part to make these pumpkin bars just right—spiced, moist, and perfectly sweet. Shopping tips? Look for fresh pumpkin puree (not pie filling!) and a good-quality cream cheese for smooth frosting.

Flat lay of a small mound of pale beige all-purpose flour on a simple white ceramic plate, a pile of ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice on a plain white ceramic dish, two white ceramic bowls holding light golden vegetable oil and rich amber pure maple syrup, three large brown eggs with clean uncracked shells arranged neatly, a small white bowl filled with packed dark brown sugar alongside a small white bowl with granulated white sugar, a smooth dollop of vibrant orange pumpkin puree on a white ceramic plate, a block of creamy off-white brick cream cheese on a white ceramic dish, a chunk of pale yellow unsalted butter on a simple white ceramic plate, a small white bowl filled with fine white confectioners’ sugar, and a small white ceramic bowl with pure vanilla extract, all placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997 - Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, pumpkin bars recipe, fall dessert recipes, pumpkin spice bars, easy pumpkin dessert

All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour for accurate measurement to keep the texture just right.
Baking powder and baking soda: These leavening agents help the bars rise while keeping them dense but tender.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
Ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice: Provides that signature warm, autumnal flavor—you can use store-bought or homemade.
Vegetable oil: Keeps the bars moist without making them greasy; I prefer neutral oils like vegetable or canola.
Eggs: Bind everything together and add richness.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: A combo that adds depth and sweetness with a touch of caramel flavor from the brown sugar.
Pure maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness and an extra layer of flavor—don’t skip it!
Pumpkin puree: The star of the show—make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the spices and sweetness with a hint of warmth.
Cream cheese: Use full-fat, softened cream cheese for a rich and smooth frosting.
Unsalted butter: Softened for easy blending in the frosting; controls salt levels nicely.
Confectioners’ sugar: Sweetens and thickens the cream cheese frosting.
Optional sprinkles: For a little festive flair when serving.

Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

I’ve played around with this recipe a bit to suit different occasions and tastes, and you should definitely feel free to do the same. It’s all about making it your own without losing that irresistible pumpkin bar magic.

Gluten-free version: I swapped the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend once, and it still worked beautifully—just make sure your blend includes xanthan gum to hold everything together.
Spice it up: For an extra kick, I sometimes add a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg to the batter; it really deepens the flavor.
Nutty twist: Adding chopped pecans or walnuts either in the batter or sprinkled on top before baking gives a lovely crunch that my family loves.
Dairy-free option: Using dairy-free cream cheese and butter substitutes works great for the frosting; just adjust sweetness to taste.

How to Make Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Step 1: Prep Your Pan and Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (177°C). I like to line my 10×15-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on the sides. This makes lifting the bars out a breeze once they’ve cooled. If you prefer, greasing the pan works just fine too, but parchment is a game-changer for easy cleanup and neat bars.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Making sure these are well combined means your pumpkin bars will have an even, warm spice throughout.

Step 3: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. I discovered early on that beating these until well combined really helps the batter come together nicely, so don’t rush it!

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a whisk or mixer until just combined. The batter will be thick, which is exactly what you want. Overmixing can make the bars dense, so once you don’t see any more flour, stop!

Step 5: Bake to Perfection

Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan. Bake for 28 to 35 minutes, but here’s my tip: start checking at 28 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. When it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, you’re done. If you notice the edges browning too fast, tent the pan loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.

Step 6: Cool Completely Before Frosting

This step is important! Once out of the oven, let the bars cool on a wire rack for about 45 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, pop them in the fridge to speed things up—this helps the frosting go on smoothly without melting.

Step 7: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a clean bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter at high speed until smooth and creamy. Then add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Start mixing on low to avoid a sugar cloud, then switch to high speed and beat for about 2 minutes. If your frosting feels too thin, just add a little extra confectioners’ sugar until you reach your desired thickness.

Step 8: Frost and Chill

Spread that dreamy frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars evenly. My secret? Refrigerate the frosted bars for at least 30 minutes before slicing—it helps the frosting set and makes cutting much cleaner.

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Pro Tips for Making Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Room Temperature Ingredients: I always make sure my cream cheese and butter are thoroughly softened—this helps you get a perfectly smooth frosting without lumps.
Watch the Bake Time: Every oven is different, so start checking early to avoid dry bars; remember, moist crumbs on a toothpick are a sign of perfection.
Use Fresh Pumpkin Puree: Fresh or canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling!) ensures natural flavor and texture that makes these bars stand out.
Chill Before Cutting: Refrigerating the frosted bars helps the frosting firm up and prevents messy slices—trust me, it’s worth the wait.

How to Serve Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

The image shows two square pieces of cake stacked on top of each other on a white cake stand with a wavy edge. Each cake piece has two layers: a thick, moist, brown bottom layer with a porous texture, and a thinner, smooth white frosting layer on top. The top piece is decorated with small yellow and orange sprinkle pieces scattered over the white frosting. The background is a white marbled surface. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7 - Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting, pumpkin bars recipe, fall dessert recipes, pumpkin spice bars, easy pumpkin dessert

Garnishes

I usually keep it simple with just a light dusting of cinnamon or some festive autumn-themed sprinkles on top of the frosting. It adds a cheerful pop of color without overpowering the warm spices in the bars.

Side Dishes

These pumpkin bars are wonderful on their own but also pair beautifully with a cup of hot coffee, spiced chai tea, or apple cider for the full fall vibe. For a breakfast treat, I love adding a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side to balance the sweetness.

Creative Ways to Present

For special occasions, I’ve served these bars cut into bite-sized squares on a tiered dessert tray along with roasted nuts and caramel drizzle. You can also jazz up the frosting with a swirl of crushed candy canes or toasted pecans depending on the season.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I always store leftover bars tightly covered in the fridge to keep the cream cheese frosting fresh—and they’ll stay yummy for up to 5 days. If you left the bars unfrosted, you could keep them at room temperature for a couple of days, but I find refrigeration keeps the flavor and texture best overall.

Freezing

These pumpkin bars freeze beautifully! You can freeze them unfrosted in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge and then frost before serving for the freshest taste.

Reheating

If you want a slightly warm bar, take it out of the fridge and microwave for 10-15 seconds—enough to take the chill off but not melt the frosting. I don’t recommend reheating the whole batch in the oven, as the frosting can get too soft.

FAQs

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

It’s best to use pure pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added sugars and spices that can affect the flavor balance and sweetness of your bars.
How long do pumpkin bars last in the fridge?

When stored properly in an airtight container, frosted pumpkin bars can last up to 5 days refrigerated. Keep unfrosted bars covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I make these bars ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can bake the bars and store them unfrosted in the fridge or freezer, then add the cream cheese frosting just before serving for the freshest result.
What’s the best way to get smooth cream cheese frosting?

Make sure your cream cheese and butter are fully softened to room temperature before beating them together. This prevents lumps and helps create that perfect creamy texture.

Final Thoughts

This Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe has become my go-to fall dessert—and I know you’ll love it just as much as my family does. The way these bars hold their shape while staying tender and moist, plus that dreamy frosting, makes them such a crowd-pleaser. Give it a try the next time you want an easy, comforting treat that feels special. Trust me, once you taste these, you’ll be making them every autumn—maybe even all year round!