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Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe

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4.82 from 38 votes
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Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting. These bars are ultra dense and full of all your favorite pumpkin pie spices! Topped with the smoothest, tangy cream cheese frosting!

Pumpkin bar with cream cheese frosting held black backgroundThese Easy Pumpkin Bars are so good I want to cry.

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Trevor and I loved these bars so much, we literally went through an entire pan in less than a week.

Oops.

But. I mean.

Can you blame us?

Dense, rich, perfectly spiced pumpkin bars topped with a light, creamy, tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting?!

Like, come OOOOOOON.

I know you’d do the same. 😉

Closeup of pumpkin barShow Me the Yummy’s been around for almost three years now.

How the HECK is this the first pumpkin bar recipe I’ve made?!

I’m sorry.

Because we’ve all been seriously been missing out.

It’s probably, because . . . now don’t hate me . . . I’m actually not THAT crazy about pumpkin.

I had an unfortunate incident with a pumpkin cream pie growing up.

And it’s taken me years to get over it. 😉 

Because of that, I often skip the pumpkin, and am perfectly happy with something chocolatey and delish.

But. Like I said, I think I’m over my aversion to pumpkin.

SO, in Montreal, I decided to recipe test TWO different recipes: No Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes and these Easy Pumpkin Bars.

Let me tell you, I don’t think Montreal is nearly as pumpkin crazed as we are here in the US, because it literally took me an hour to find the ONE can in the grocery store, ha!!

But have no fear, because I found the pumpkin, and immediately made these Easy Pumpkin Bars.

And then immediately devoured them.

Pumpkin bar on a plate side viewThey’re super simple to make, and even easier to eat. 😉

Let’s start with the pumpkin bars:

Beat together eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, canola oil, and 1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree <– it’s a lot, but trust me. 😉 Then you’ll stir in flour, baking powder/soda, salt, and all the pumpkin pie spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

Bake it up. Cool. Then frost.

The frosting :

Cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Simple, yet oh so perfect.

Drizzle with caramel sauce and walnuts.

Here’s why I like this Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe so much:

  1. They’re SO easy. Obviously!
  2. They’re REALLY dense. When I was doing research on pumpkin bars, I kept reading complaints that other people’s recipes were too cake like. My friends, pumpkin BARS are not cake, so these bars are not cake-y. Yay!
  3. They taste ah-mazing warm, room temperature, AND cold. Depends on my mood which one I like best.

I mean, I have a million more reasons why I love these so much, but I’ll leave it at three.

Super rich, dense, yet fluffy spiced pumpkin bars with tangy, smooth cream cheese frosting.

Fall.

Bite of pumpkin bar on forkPerfection.

– Jennifer

Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting. These bars are ultra dense and full of all your favorite pumpkin pie spices! Topped with the smoothest, tangy cream cheese frosting! showmetheyummy.com

Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe

4.82 from 38 votes
Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting. These bars are ultra dense and full of all your favorite pumpkin pie spices! Topped with the smoothest, tangy cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 24 bars (1 (9x13") pan)
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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Easy Pumpkin Bars

  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree about 3 1/2 cups
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Easy Pumpkin Bars

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, oil, and pumpkin together until combined.
  • Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  • Stir until combined *just* combined.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
  • Add in heavy cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
  • Add in powdered sugar and beat until combined and fluffy.
  • Frost cooled bars.
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STORING
Room Temp:1 Day
Refrigerator:3-4 Days
Freezer:2 Months
Reheat:If frozen, let thaw then bake or microwave
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 328 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 166mg7%
Potassium 135mg4%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 31g34%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 5515IU110%
Vitamin C 1.4mg2%
Calcium 42mg4%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: baked, cream cheese frosting, easy
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Jennifer Debth

Reader Interactions

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  6. Tina

    Pekin, Illinois

    5 stars I have made a lot of pumpkin bar recipes off the internet and this one is the best! Thank you so much for sharing it.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi April. I have not tried these with melted butter, but I think it would be just fine! Oil makes for a more moist baked good, so I actually think they’d be more cake-like/drier with the butter.

  11. Susan

    United States

    I’d like to add zucchini along with the pumpkin to this recipe, can you suggest an updated recipe that includes it?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Susan! Pumpkin and zucchini both have so much moisture, it would require me to re-test a new recipe. I’d google “pumpkin zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting” for a recipe that’s been thoroughly tested for the best results!

  12. Sioux

    Banning, California

    Hi, there. I’m not super experienced at baking, but I do OK when I (rarely) make desserts. I Googled “moist dense pumpkin bars,” and your recipe showed up at the top of the list. It looks like just what I want. I have some questions: 1) Can the recipe be cut in half? If so, does that change the baking time? 2) Will adding chopped walnuts change the baking time? 3) I often use Splenda with brown sugar, so I’m thinking that substitution for the packed brown sugar should be OK. Do you have any ideas about cutting down on the amount of white sugar? I am trying to limit the sugars when possible, but I’d be making this for both sugar-watchers and sugar addicts. Thanks so much for this yummy-looking recipe!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi! You could *maybe* get away with halving the recipe. I’d probably crack 3 eggs into a measuring cup, then measure out half the mixture. I’d also use a 15 oz can of pumpkin. Everything else should be easy to cut in half. You could make this in a 9×13 for thinner bars (bake for half the time probably) or you could do a square 9×9 baking pan and they should be relatively the same thickness and should have a similar bake time. Chopped walnuts shouldn’t change the cook time. I’d actually keep the brown sugar (you could probably cut the amount in half, so for your halved recipe that would be 1/4 cup brown sugar) and swap the white sugar for the splenda. With all these changes, I can’t guarantee the results, but this would be my best guess!

  17. MK

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    5 stars This is an outstanding recipe. It can’t get easier. Tastes absolutely wonderful. I have been using it for years.
    Reply

  19. Mary

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    5 stars This is the easiest and most outstanding pumpkin I have ever had. I may get it once a month for a family that I cook for and when I make it for them I make it for my family too!
    Reply

  20. Victoria,

    Broomfield, Colorado

    5 stars Thank you for this easy recipe. They were delicious. Made them to see if family would like them for Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved them. Now have to make one for each of my daughters and their families. That’s three pans. I can’t tell you how easy it was to make these. One word to explain how good these taste. “Delicious”
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Sharon! These won’t have a texture like pumpkin pie, but these are very dense and moist! Hope you enjoy!

  28. Tasha

    Maple Grove, Minnesota

    5 stars Made these this week and oh my word they are HEAVEN!!! So moist and dense. Just how pumpkin bars should be! We put them in the fridge and my husband said it was like eating mini pumpkin pie lol thank you!!!!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thank you, Elaine and Jerry! Glad you liked the recipe and found it easy to follow 🙂

  31. Denise

    Durham, North Carolina

    5 stars Made these last week and my husbands coworkers kept stealing them! Poor man had to hide to get some for himself! So I am making more for him this weekend (he was begging so what could I do?) He is hiding them this time lol.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      I wouldn’t! 🙂 They don’t have much rise, so you’ll end up with really flat, dense cupcakes.

  34. Anonymous

    Martinsville, Indiana

    Can not wait to try. Seems, like, they would be more like a piece of cake, instead of a bar? All other receipes, call for 15oz. If pumpkin, and baked in 15/10/1
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi! Not sure I understand your question. Could you elaborate? More pumpkin causes these to be more moist and dense, making them less cake-like.

  37. Jennifer

    Winter Garden, Florida

    4 stars After looking at numerous recipes for pumpkin bars, most show (2) teaspoons baking powder? You have (1) teaspoon”s” baking powder? Is this a typo, or use just one?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Not a typo 🙂 I didn’t want these to be cake-y bars! I wanted them dense.

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Gloria! So glad you tried the recipe. Hope it turned out awesome! 🙂

  42. Eva

    United States

    5 stars Hi! I made these for Thanksgiving and my GrandLoves went bananas over them. I’m making more right now and they’re sitting here watching and waiting. Great recipe! Thanks. Blessings!!!
    Reply

  43. Brenda

    Montrose, Colorado

    5 stars We really like these. They are moist with just the right spice. I do modify the recipe a little. I used Truvia instead of white sugar and Splenda brown. Also added a scoop of raisins. Thanks for the great recipe! It was quick and easy.
    Reply

  44. Eva

    Valley Village, California

    Hello! Really want to try these!! Looking for a bar kind of thing, not really a cake. What is the texture like? Also does it matter if it’s a glass pan? Let me know. Thank you!!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Eva! Definitely dense like a bar and not cake-like. 🙂 A glass pan should be fine!

  45. Pamela

    Somerset, Pennsylvania

    5 stars These bars are thick, moist & delicious with rave reviews from our family! They are the perfect autumn dessert to relax with a cup of coffee. Thank you!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Jackie! You could PROBABLY freeze these un-frosted and have them turn out, but I don’t think the cream cheese frosting would thaw well. That’s my best guess! You’ll have to let me know if it works 🙂

  47. Irina

    Englishtown, New Jersey

    Hi, can you please confirm you meant to use the large pumpkin tin. I have several recipes that are half the amount of pumpkin pur̩e and the same amount of flour Р2 cups. Thanks!
    Reply

  49. katie

    Los Angeles, California

    are these bars just as good after a day in the fridge? I wanted to make it the day before Thanksgiving.
    Reply

  50. Abby

    Roseville, California

    These look amazing … I think just what I’ve been looking for too. I’ve been seeing sooo many recipes but they all look like cake and I wanted something denser almost brownie like… I can’t wait to make these for Thanksgiving !! Thank You
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Should be fine! Since it’ll be MUCH thinner, bake time will most likely be greatly reduced.

  53. Phi

    OK, these are so incredible looking. I’ve been dying to make a pumpkin bars with a frosting, and it looks like I finally found the recipe to make! Hope you guys are having fun on all your travels!
    Reply
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