The best recipe for moist and delicious pumpkin bars topped with cream cheese frosting.
I’ve really got a love/hate relationship with baking. It is something that I genuinely enjoy, but unfortunately the end product always turns out soo delicious it is difficult to turn down seconds and thirds. Because of this, I decided to never bake something unless I know I can give away most of it to family or friends the next day.
I had those same good intentions the other day when I made these pumpkin bars, but sadly only a quarter of the pan made it out of the house. The rest, my husband and I devoured within 2 days.
Don’t worry, I combated that with some salad eating & just keeping my macros on point the days following. Some days you just have to let yourself indulge a little. It’s all about balance 😉 lol
But really, it’s gotten to the point where I severely limit how often I will make these delicious, surprisingly easy pumpkin bars for fear of eating them all myself.
I originally shared this recipe in 2015? Years later and it’s still my go-to dessert for big Fall family gatherings (when others are around to eat this too and it’s not just me). It’s been fun to see that it’s now a lot of other people’s go-to as well!
I would say I make this recipe at least twice every Fall/Winter and I typically interchange it with some easy Reeses stuffed brownies which are also freaking delish.
It’s a family tradition that I really enjoy =) Most of our family traditions are centered around food actually lol Anyway, I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Now, that we’re entering Fall I think it’s about time I make this again too! Although, this recipe can be made year round too. I
t used to be that canned pumpkin was hard to find during the “off-season” but not anymore! So sometimes it’s a nice change to make something pumpkin-y like these pumpkin bars in March, even though it seems a little strange lol
Tips for making these…
This is an extremely easy recipe, I don’t have many tips. The only thing I will say is to make sure you have a big enough pan. I use a jelly roll pan because, not only is it big, it’s also deep. A half sheet pan would probably work for these too.
Also, the cook time will vary depending on your oven. In the past, these pumpkin bars would take me 25-30 minutes to cook. Now, with our gas oven, our latest batch only took about 15 minutes. So, I would recommend you start checking on them at the 15 minute mark.
To check on them I typically just do the fork test. If it comes out clean, I pull the bars out. Simple.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe!
Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 c sugar
- 1 c canola oil
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
- 2 c flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- *for frosting*
- 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 pkg powdered sugar (about half of a 2 pound bag)
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil & pumpkin.
- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, & salt and them gradually add to pumpkin mixture.
- Lightly coat jelly roll pan with cooking spray and pour mixture in.
- Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat ingredients together in small bowl until smooth.
Notes
**These are delicious the first day, but the second day they are my absolute favorite! That pumpkin flavor really starts to come out & they become even more moist (especially if you keep them covered)!
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To everyone who had commented on this post. I am sorry I had to disable "commentluv" the app I previously used for comments due to technical complications. I feel bad because I know that there were over 20 comments on here. But to the comments with questions: yes you can use a 9×13 inch pan, but the cooking time may be different and you will probably need two of those pans for all the batter. and the jelly roll pan I use is linked above and is the standard 10x15x1 size. and thanks to everyone who has enjoyed this recipe! I am glad you love it as much as we do!!
I made your pumpkin bars last night for our church's Thanksgiving lunch today. They all disappeared quickly. Everyone loved them!! I can't wait to make another batch this week for my family's Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Do you cool the bars in the fridge overnight or just room temp?
I am so happy everyone loved them! they go really quickly when we make them too!
soo since it's a cream cheese frosting i think you are supposed to put them in the fridge, but we never do. we just usually leave them on the counter & cover them with aluminum foil & it's been fine
How many cups of powder sugar is this equivalent too?
2lbs is roughly 32 oz. So half of that is 16 oz. and 8 oz. in a cup, so use 2 cups of powdered sugar.
Can I substitute the canola oil for another?
Hi everyone! I just did this recipe with 9 x 13 pan and got great results! I baked for 25 minutes total at 350 degrees and it did the job perfectly! I wanted bars that were a bit thicker so this was perfect. Thanks for the amazing recipe it will definitely get a lot of use in my house!
This recipe has been in my family since I was a teenager and I’m in my 50s now. It has always been a hit no matter where I’ve taken them everybody wants him and they’re gone in minutes. Such a super easy recipe and it turns out perfect every time.
The bars turned out fantastic!
I used an 8×11 glass dish
They rose about 2”-just perfect!
I mixed the eggs, vanilla, oil & pumpkin with mixer until creamy.
After combining the dry ingredients I added them slowly while folding them into the liquids.
I sprayed the pan then lined with parchment.
They were fully cooked after 30 minutes @ 350 degrees
Super easy & very tasty!
Highly recommend this recipe
This cake was very moist, I added 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, Huge hit with the family
I’m so glad!!
Hello, would a 17.5×10.5 1inch deep pan work?? Would love to make these today but dont have a jelly roll pan, really need to get one! Also what would be your thought on making a walnut brown sugar butter crumble for the top rather than frosting??
Let’s see, the pan I’m currently using is 11 x 15 x 2. Yours is a little longer, but mine is definitely deeper. So you may get some overspill. I would probably just fill yours as much as you can and then use the rest in cupcake form depending on how much batter you have left. And then of course, watch the cooking time. I have never made a walnut brown sugar butter crumble, but it sounds amazing. I think it would probablybe delish on top! Also, sorry, I hope I’m not responding too late! It’s 12 hours past your original comment time…
Made these bars today and they were the best! Took them to a pumpkin carving party and they disappeared and people couldn’t quit talking about them. They are a keeper for sure😊😊😊😊
Is the canned pumpkin, 100% pure pumpkin or the already seasoned can of pumpkin?
not the seasoned one, just the plain canned pumpkin
Hi can you make these in a glass casserole dish? I have a smaller one and a larger one, not sure of the exact dimensions.
I’m sure you can, but the cooking times will be different. I would just fill the dishes and keep checking on them to see when they are done. someone else mentioned a 9×13 pan taking about 30 minutes to cook.
This was delicious . I made it up on Wednesday and we had it on Thanksgiving . I didn’t have a jelly roll pan but used a 9×13 cake pan and cooked it for about 30 mins .
I’m so glad you liked it! And that’s good to know about the cake pan, that’s probably a more common pan for everyone to have so thank you for sharing that!
I recently attempted a pumpkin roll that, unfortunately, turned out terribly, so I was hoping to redeem myself with this pumpkin bar recipe. I have accepted the fact that I was born without the baking gene but luckily did not need it for this recipe. I am so thankful there was a photo of your finished bars, and that I read the comments first; I avoided a possible disaster by using a 13×9 pan rather than the jelly roll pan that is suggested. I cannot believe I made something this delicious!! My husband and daughter love it, too! Thank you for sharing it!
Happy New Year!
yay! I’m so glad it was a success!!