These Super Soft Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are what your dreams are made of! Simple to make, pillowy soft, and a frosting that will have you licking your lips and coming back for more!
Is it ever too early for pumpkin? I don't think so. Honestly, I would eat it year-round! Super soft pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting may be the greatest thing of all time!
I like most pumpkin desserts, but a soft pumpkin something with cream cheese frosting is hands down my favorite kind! (This pumpkin roll is my all-time most fav and I make it multiple times every year during the holidays.)
This is like if pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll, and pumpkin cake, all got together and made a love child.
Is that too much? Nah - didn’t know how else to describe it. You’re welcome.
Jump to:
What Makes These Soft Pumpkin Bars so special?
- Simple to make. 2 bowls. 1 hand mixer. 2 spatulas. 1 baking sheet. That’s all you need.
- Feeds a crowd! You can get 24 really good-sized slices out of this. Or go with smaller bite-size slices and get 30-36 servings.
- They are so pillowy and soft they practically melt in your mouth. And I have never met anyone who doesn’t like cream cheese frosting!
- Perfect from the beginning of the pumpkin season in October all throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Have I convinced you yet? Perfect. Let's get baking!
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Canned Pumpkin Puree
- Oil
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese
- Butter - softened
- Milk or Cream
- Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make
- In a large bowl, add your eggs and beat. Next comes your sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add in your oil and pumpkin, and you guessed it - mix until it is all one yummy pumpkin batter.
- Add in your flour and all your spices. Mix well - making sure there are no flour clumps remaining.
- You will need a half-sheet pan for these bars. Line with parchment paper (I find this helps to be able to slice and remove easily without sticking to the pan) and spray the edges with cooking spray.
- Spread the batter out evenly and bake. Once these pumpkin bars are finished baking, let them cool completely before frosting.
PRO TIP - place the pan in the fridge on a cooling pad to speed up the cooling process before frosting (if needed).
How to Make Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
You can make this with a hand mixer or if you prefer a stand mixer, that will work just fine as well.
- Place in your room temp butter and cream cheese. Beat until no clumps remain and you have a smooth mixture.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until fully incorporated. Start your hand mixer on slow with a big enough bowl or cover your stand mixer with a tea towel to prevent wearing all the powdered sugar you just added in. 🙂
- Add in your milk and vanilla. Mix.
- Then add in the remaining 1 cup and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
Frost your cake once cooled and then you’re ready to dig in! Be sure to watch the video HERE on how I like to easily frost the top.
How to Make Ahead of Time
- The pumpkin bars can be made up to 3 days in advance. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed. Frost right before serving if making longer than 24 hours in advance.
- The cream cheese frosting can also be made 1-2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. Make sure to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes prior to the frosting to let come to room temp - it will be easier to spread out evenly on the cake.
- If you are wanting to make the cake more than 3 days in advance - make it according to the recipe and let cool completely. Wrap tightly in the sheet pan with plastic wrap 3 times - making sure it is sealed tight - this is super important so it will prevent freezer burn! Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. The day before you want to eat it, remove from the freezer and place it in the fridge. This will help it thaw slowly and not create moisture on your cake. Frost before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftovers stored airtight in the fridhe for 3-4 days.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes
- Overnight Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Addicting Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Glaze
- Southern Pumpkin Pie
- Sous Vide Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix
- Soft Pumpkin Scones with a Maple Drizzle
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Super Soft Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
Description
These Super Soft Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are what your dreams are made of! Simple to make, pillowy soft, and a frosting that will have you licking your lips and coming back for more!
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cake
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 1 (15 Ounce) Can of Pumpkin (puree not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Cup Oil
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ginger
- ½ Teaspoon Cloves
- ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese - softened
- 3 Tablespoon Butter - softened
- 1 Tablespoon Milk or Cream
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add eggs and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until eggs and sugar are mixed together and starting to lighten in color.
- Add in pumpkin and oil. Mix until everything is mixed together well.
- Add in flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Mix just until everything is incorporated and no flour is left.
- Spray the edges of a half-sheet pan (13x18) and line it with parchment paper. Pour batter onto greased and lined baking sheet and spread the batter out evenly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Once finished, remove from the oven and let cool completely before adding cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature in a large bowl.
- Mix until fluffy and no clumps remain.
- Add in 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and mix until everything is smooth and incorporated.
- Add in milk and vanilla. Mix again.
- Add in the final cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth and mixed well.
- Spread out evenly onto the cool pumpkin cake.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover pumpkin cake in the fridge - wrapped up airtight. Will last for 3-4 days.
How to Make Ahead and Freeze
- The pumpkin bars can be made up to 3 days in advance. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed. Frost before serving if making more than 24 hours in advance.
- The cream cheese frosting can also be made 1-2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. Make sure to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes prior to the frosting to let come to room temp - it will be easier to spread out evenly on the cake.
- If you are wanting to make the cake more than 3 days in advance - make it according to the recipe and let cool completely. Wrap tightly in the sheet pan with plastic wrap 3 times - making sure it is sealed tight - this is super important so it will prevent freezer burn! Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. The day before you want to eat it, remove from the freezer and place it in the fridge. This will help it thaw slowly and not create moisture on your cake. Frost before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 282
- Sugar: 25.9 g
- Sodium: 145.3 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 44.4 mg
Keywords: Pumpkin Cake
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