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Moist Pumpkin Bars Recipe (From Scratch in 90 Minutes)

Moist, spiced pumpkin bars topped with creamy frosting — a fall dessert that's now even more popular than apple pie.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 285
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil or applesauce substitute
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, then oil, then pumpkin puree, mixing until smooth.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined.
  5. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool bars completely before frosting.
  7. For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and salt. Mix until fluffy.
  8. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

Always use pure pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Allow bars to cool fully before frosting to avoid melting. Avoid over-mixing to keep texture light and tender.