Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting on parchment.

Tis the season for all things pumpkin – including our Pumpkin Bars! If you’re looking for a pretty low maintenance, but seriously delicious pumpkin dessert to make, our bars are the perfect recipe!

Our pumpkin bars are delicious enough to bring to a party, but also easy enough to make to just enjoy at home when you’re craving a sweet, pumpkin flavored treat.

How to Make Our Pumpkin Bars Recipe

Pumpkin bar ingredients all laid out ready to bake.

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Process

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease multi-cavity mini loaf pan (or 9”x 13” baking dish).
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk together.

Dry ingredients in a glass bowl to make pumpkin bars.

Dry ingredients in a bowl for pumpkin bars recipe.

In another mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients and whisk together until fully mixed.

Wet ingredients whisked together to make pumpkin bars recipe.

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Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture.

Combining dry and wet ingredients to make the batter for pumpkin bars.

Pour batter evenly into each cavity of the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bars (testing a couple of the bars in the center of the loaf pan is best).

Pumpkin bar batter poured into a prepared baking sheet.

Slightly cool bars, before transferring them to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Frost tops of each pumpkin bar with cream cheese frosting, finish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and serve.

Pumpkin bars being topped with cream cheese frosting.

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Pumpkin bars overhead to show off cream cheese frosting.

Tools You Will Need

Is the Specific Baking Pan Used Necessary?

We opted to use the 18 cavity mini loaf pan because it makes them more “bar-like”. The pan also gives each bar a slightly chewy baked ‘edge’, similar to the corner pieces of a pan of baked brownies.

We also love using this pan for other baked recipes, but if you prefer using a single baking dish, you can make this recipe in a 9″x 13″ baking dish without having to adjust anything except possibly increasing the bake time by about 5 minutes (depending on your oven).

Pumpkin Bars with one cut in half on parchment.

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Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead

Our pumpkin bars can be made (unfrosted), up to 3 days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container and left on the counter (in a cool and dry place). They can also be made (unfrosted), up to 5 days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. When ready to eat, frost bars up to 12 hours ahead of time.

The frosting can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow frosting to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then beat again using a stand mixer or hand mixer, as needed, until light and fluffy.

Freezing

Our pumpkin bars can be stored (unfrosted) in an airtight container, in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, transfer bars to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Once thawed frost and serve.

We don’t recommend freezing the bars with the frosting or freezing the frosting to avoid texture issues once thawed.

Variations for Our Pumpkin Bars Recipe

As we mentioned earlier, instead of using a 18 cavity mini loaf pan, this recipe can be swapped and made in a 9″x 13″ baking dish and cut into bars once cooled.
Swap the spices we use out for about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice If that’s what you have on hand or prefer.
Swap the cream cheese frosting for simple vanilla glaze or pistachio glaze that can be drizzled onto the pumpkin bars or just leave them bare and serve as is!