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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting that bake in one 9x13 pan for a soft, cake-like texture. A spiced, tender crumb is topped with tangy frosting spread to the edges, then chilled for clean slices.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
cooling + chilling 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bars
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ground cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine salt
Topping
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon for dusting
  • 0.33 cup chopped toasted pecans

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bars
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for lifting.
  2. Whisk the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla until the batter is silky and evenly colored.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Fold just until no dry streaks remain, stopping before the batter looks overmixed.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
  6. Bake 25–30 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool completely in the pan, about 1½ hours, so the bars won’t melt the frosting.
Make and frost
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy with no lumps.
  2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and fine salt. Beat on low, then on medium for 2 minutes more until thick and spreadable.
  3. Spread the frosting over the cooled bars in generous swoops, then dust with cinnamon and scatter with toasted pecans.
  4. Chill 30 minutes to set, then lift out by the parchment and cut into 24 bars.

Notes

For the lightest crumb, fold the dry ingredients in only until the last streak disappears—overmixing makes dense bars. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze frosted or unfrosted bars in a single layer wrapped well for up to 2 months. For a dairy-reduced option, use a 1:1 cream-cheese-style plant-based spread and plant butter that soften similarly, keeping the same frosting method.