• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fueling a Southern Soul

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Dinner
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Sous Vide Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Dinner
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Sous Vide Recipes
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Desserts

    Published: Oct 14, 2019 · Modified: Apr 3, 2021 by Heather · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Super Soft Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    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 coming back for more!

    Is it ever too early for pumpkin? I don't think so. Honestly, I would eat it year-round soooo...?‍♀️ 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, pumpkin cake, all got together and made a love child.

    pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting in a baking pan up close

    Is that too much? Nah - didn’t know how else to describe it. You’re welcome.

    What Makes These Soft Pumpkin Bars so special?

    1. Simple to make. 2 bowls. 1 hand mixer. 2 spatulas. 1 baking sheet. That’s all you need.
    2. 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.
    3. They are so pillowy soft they practically melt in your mouth. And I have never met anyone who doesn’t like cream cheese frosting!
    4. Perfect from the beginning of pumpkin season in October all throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

    Have I convinced you yet? Perfect. Let's get baking!

    Ingredients Needed for Soft Pumpkin Bars

    • 4 Eggs
    • 2 Cups Sugar
    • 1 (15 Ounce) Can of Pumpkin
    • 1 Cup Oil
    • 2 Cups Flour
    • ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
    • 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
    ingredients for soft pumpkin cookies in clear bowls on a white table

    How to Make Pumpkin Bars from Scratch

    1. In a large bowl, add in 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.
    2. Add in your flour and all your spices. Mix well - making sure there are no flour clumps remaining.
    3. You will need a half sheet pan (*affiliate link - your regular cookie baking sheet) 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.
    4. Spread the batter out evenly and bake. Once these pumpkin bars are finished baking, let cool completely before frosting.  

    **You can throw in the fridge or freezer to help speed up the cooling process if close on time**

    • pumpkin bar batter in a baking pan getting ready to go in the oven on a white table
    • soft pumpkin bars after they have cooled on the oven witout frosting in a baking pan on a white table
    • soft pumpkin bars iced with cream cheese frosting in a baking pan

    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.

    1. Place in your room temp butter and cream cheese. Beat until no clumps remain and you have a smooth mixture.
    2. 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. 🙂
    3. Add in your milk and vanilla. Mix.
    4. 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.

    overhead soft of soft pumpkin bars in the baking sheet and 3 slices on white plates with 2 glasses of milk and a green towel

    How to Make Soft Pumpkin Bars Ahead of Time

    • The pumpkin bars can be made up to 3-4 days in advance. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed. Frost as normal.
    • 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 way in advance - make 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.
    holding a plate of soft pumpkin bars with a fork taking a piece off the corner

    Are You a Die Hard Pumpkin Lover? Then You Will LOVE These Other Pumpkin Recipes!

    • Addicting Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Glaze
    • Pumpkin Spice Trail Mix
    • Soft Pumpkin Scones with a Maple Drizzle
    • Pumpkin Roll
    • Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
    • Copycat Costco Pumpkin Muffins
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    pumpkin cake on a white plate with a green napkin and glass of milk

    Super Soft Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting


    • Author: Heather
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 24 bars 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    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 coming back for more!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Pumpkin Cake

    • 4 Eggs
    • 2 Cups Sugar
    • 1 (15 Ounce) Can of Pumpkin
    • 1 Cup Oil
    • 2 Cups Flour
    • ½ Teaspoon Salt
    • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
    • 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

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. In a large bowl, add in eggs and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until eggs and sugar are mixed together and starting to lighten in color.
    3. Add in pumpkin and oil. Mix until everything is mixed together well.
    4. Add in flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Mix until just until everything is incorporated and no flour is left.
    5. Spray the edges of a half sheet pan (13x18) and line with parchment paper. Pour batter onto greased and lined baking sheet and spread the batter out evenly.
    6. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
    7. Once finished, remove from the oven and let cool completely before adding cream cheese frosting.

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    1. Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature in a large bowl.
    2. Mix until fluffy and no clumps remain.
    3. Add in 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and mix until everything is smooth and incorporated.
    4. Add in milk and vanilla. Mix again.
    5. Add in the final cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth and mixed well.
    6. Spread out evenly onto the cool pumpkin cake.
    7. Enjoy!

     

    Notes

    • Store leftover pumpkin cake in the fridge - wrapped up airtight. Will last for 4-5 days.

    How to Make Ahead and Freeze

    • The pumpkin bars can be made up to 3-4 days in advance. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed. Frost as normal.
    • 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 way in advance - make 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.
    • 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

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @fuelingasouthernsoul on Instagram and hashtag it #fuelingasouthernsoul

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    Disclosure. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you, and as always I only recommend products I trust!  Heather Bilyeu is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
     
    « September Wine Down Wednesday
    Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Heather! Grab a glass of wine, a blanket, and a cozy seat on your back porch. I am so glad you are here! Born and raised in Kentucky and with proper southern roots, my love for entertaining and hospitality runs deep within my soul. There is nothing that I love more than having people around my table and loving them through food and drink!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Rice Krispie Peanut Butter Balls {No Bake}
    • 3 Ingredient Pizza Dough
    • Protein French Toast
    • Creamy Southern Mashed Potatoes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Fueling a Southern Soul