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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

These pumpkin bars are the perfect fall treat, loaded with the flavor of pumpkin and spices, and topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fall dessert, pumpkin bars, pumpkin dessert, Thanksgiving
Servings: 24 bars
Author: Joy at Artful Homemaking

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup oil I use coconut oil
  • 1 15 oz.can pumpkin
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan that is 15.5 x 10.5 x 1 inch.
  • In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat eggs, oil, pumpkin, and sugar until smooth.
  • Whisk in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well mixed. Spread batter evenly in jelly roll pan.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes or until light brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack until completely cooled (usually about 2 hours).
  • Make cream cheese frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl on low speed until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar gradually, about 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and of a spreadable consistency.
  • Store bars in refrigerator.

Notes

You can decrease the sugar in the bar part of the recipe by up to one cup and these will still turn out delicious if you add the frosting!
You can decrease the sugar in the frosting by 1/2 cup and it will still be good, but the texture of the frosting is less creamy and smooth, and more buttery. But still good!