Sourdough Pumpkin Bars
Soft sourdough pumpkin bars topped with cream cheese frosting—easy to make, warmly spiced, and perfect for fall gatherings.
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 335kcal
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Bars
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin purée (285g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (250g), packed
- 1 cup avocado oil (about 218 g), or other neutral oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sourdough discard (240g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese (226g), softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice optional
- 3 to 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar (360–390g), sifted
- 1-2 teaspoons milk or cream optional, if frosting is too thick
Instructions
Make the Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and sourdough discard until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and optional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Mix to combine.
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, starting with 3 cups and adding up to 3¼ cups for your desired sweetness and consistency. If needed, add a small splash of milk or cream to loosen the frosting.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled pumpkin bars. For neater slices, chill for 15–20 minutes before cutting.
- Cut into slices. This recipe makes about 20-24 bars, depending on how you cut them.
Notes
Tips:
- For best results, bake until the center reaches an internal temperature of 200°F–205°F. This ensures the bars are fully set without overbaking.
- For this recipe, you can use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. Then switch to a spatula for combining the wet and the dry ingredients so that they do not over-mix. You may use a hand mixer or a stand mixer if you want, but be sure not to overmix and work on a lower speed.
- Jelly roll pan (10x15-inch): The standard for this recipe. This ratio is ideal and helps create the perfect amount of cake and frosting ratio.
- Half-sheet pan (13x18-inch): If you prefer thinner bars, you can use a half-sheet pan. Start checking for doneness around 16 - 18 minutes.
- 9x13-inch baking pan: Great for thicker, more cake-like bars. Bake time will increase to about 28–32 minutes. Check the center for doneness with a toothpick.
- Dust the top lightly with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- Reserve a small batch of extra frosting to pipe tiny pumpkins
- Sprinkle with chopped pecans or cinnamon sugar for extra texture and a festive finish
- Store frosted bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving.
- Unfrosted bars can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, then frost before serving.
- You can bake and frost them a day ahead. They slice even cleaner when chilled.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 2272IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
