Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
These moist Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting are a fall dessert dream—easy, spiced, and topped with a dreamy swirl of frosting that will have everyone asking for seconds. Perfect for Thanksgiving dessert tables or just an afternoon treat with a steaming mug of coffee.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (or swap half for whole wheat)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (freshly ground if you have a spice grinder)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves (optional, but adds depth)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (sub with coconut sugar for a caramel note)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (for extra tang and moistness)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9×13-inch pan by lightly greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin purée, oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until no more flour patches remain.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean near the center.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt gradually until smooth and pipeable.
- Once the bars are cool, spread or pipe the frosting on top and chill for 15 minutes to firm up. Slice and serve.
Notes
For a healthier twist, you can swap in whole wheat flour or coconut sugar. Make sure to use 100% pumpkin purée without added spices for best results.
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