These Pumpkin Bars are a soft but sturdy cake-cookie hybrid. The recipe is quick and simple, with only 20 minutes of prep. A how-to video is included.
Perfect Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin puree adds a lot of moisture to baked goods—pumpkins are about 90% water—so achieving the right texture in bars means balancing moisture without making them overly cake-like. These pumpkin bars are intentionally denser and chewier than a sheet cake: a satisfying cookie-cake hybrid that can be eaten with a fork or by hand. After testing and tweaks, this recipe yields tender, buttery, pumpkin-forward bars that hold together well and pair perfectly with cream cheese frosting.
What you’ll love about my recipe:
- Formulated to be chewy yet perfectly cakey.
- Ready in under an hour from start to finish.
- Makes 24 generous servings—great for a crowd.
- Enjoyable by hand or with a fork.
What You Need
To get a dense, slightly chewy bar instead of a light cake, these ingredient choices and techniques matter:
- Melted butter. Instead of creaming butter and sugar (which traps air and gives a lighter crumb), we use melted butter for a moister, more tender texture.
- Pumpkin puree. Blot your pumpkin puree with paper towels to remove excess water so the bars stay dense enough to eat by hand.
- Egg yolks. Using yolks only avoids adding extra water from egg whites and contributes to a tender, rich crumb. Save the whites for another use if you like.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Homemade or store-bought pumpkin spice adds warm fall flavor.
- Cornstarch. A small amount of cornstarch softens the texture and lets you use a bit less flour without making the bars tough.
- Cream cheese. Brick-style cream cheese (not the spreadable tub kind) creates the classic tangy frosting that complements pumpkin perfectly.
SAM’S TIP: Allow the melted butter to cool until it’s no longer hot before adding the sugars, or the sugars can melt.
This overview explains the reasoning behind the ingredients. The full recipe and instructions are below.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
- Combine cooled melted butter with sugar and brown sugar, then stir in blotted pumpkin puree.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Whisk the dry ingredients separately, then gradually stir them into the wet mixture.
- Spread the batter into a parchment-lined 13×9 pan and bake 23–25 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
SAM’S TIP: Lining the pan with parchment makes cleanup and removal much easier—just lift the paper to take the slab out and slice on a cutting board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Brown butter frosting, ermine frosting, or a classic buttercream would all pair well with these bars.
You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2–3 days. Refrigerating extends freshness to about 5 days but can dry baked goods, so keep them well sealed.
At room temperature in an airtight container: 2–3 days. Refrigerated in an airtight container: up to 5 days.
If you prefer a more cake-like sheet cake, bake a pumpkin layer cake batter in a jelly roll pan; it will bake in about 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Follow the written recipe and video below. If you try this recipe, tag the creator on Instagram or share feedback in the comments.
Pumpkin Bars
Comment
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree, blotted*
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (285 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
FROSTING:
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 13×9-inch pan with parchment or grease and flour the pan.
- In a large bowl, combine melted (cooled) butter, sugar, and brown sugar and beat until combined.
- Add blotted pumpkin puree and stir to combine.
- Add egg yolks and vanilla, stirring until the batter is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 23–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING
- Beat cream cheese and softened butter together until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and mix well.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until combined. Stir in cornstarch.
- Spread frosting evenly over completely cooled bars.
- Slice and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Notes
How to Blot Pumpkin
Place pumpkin puree in a bowl or spread it on a baking sheet and press with paper towels to remove excess liquid. Measure before blotting. The video shows this technique visually.
Baking Pan Note
A metal pan is used here; a glass dish will work but may increase baking time.
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days.
Gluten-free note
This recipe has been used successfully with Cup4Cup gluten-free flour by others, though the author has not tested it personally.
Nutrition
|
Calories: 257kcal
|
Carbohydrates: 34g
|
Protein: 2g
|
Fat: 13g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!