Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

I absolutely love making pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting! The moist and flavorful pumpkin bars are the perfect blend of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. They have a soft and slightly dense texture that just melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Bars:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 oz canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar sifted
A pinch of salt optional, to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Mix in the pumpkin puree until well combined.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Prepare the frosting: While the bars are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth. If desired, add a pinch of salt to taste and mix well.
Frost the cooled bars: Once the pumpkin bars have cooled, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top. Cut into bars and serve.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best texture, let the bars come to room temperature before serving if they’ve been chilled.