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    Home » Dessert

    Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Oct 5, 2021 · Modified: Jul 8, 2022 by Radwa · This post may contain affiliate links. 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you are looking for a quick and easy snack to serve your family or loved ones, pumpkin squares with cream cheese frosting would be the best choice! This recipe is budget-friendly to make and would indeed satisfy anyone who gets to have a bite from it.

    Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting

    These healthy pumpkin bars have an excellent spiced pumpkin taste. Rest assured that these are rich in texture and are not nearly as light and cakey as most other recipes that you might have already tried. Instead, they are soft and tender, which matches nicely with the spiced cream cheese icing on top!

    Making a batch of these delightful snacks will surely satisfy your cravings for pumpkins or for anything sweet for that matter. You may have your pumpkin bars at breakfast, as they may serve as your baked goods in the morning. A few hours after midday, you can eat pumpkin bars as your snack. There are no restrictions as to when and how much you will consume these easy pumpkin bars so long as you know your eating limit.

    Pumpkin bars aren't just about sweetness and softness. This delight-filled snack also highlights the exciting note of spices from ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Hence, you will recognize the dish's almost new and unique flavor when you take a bite.

    Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting

    History of Desserts Bar-Pumpkin Bars

    Dessert bars are a form of American "bar cookie" that resembles a solid cake or a softer cookie. They are baked in a pan and are very popular over the holidays. Many coffee shops and bakeries sell them as well, so it's not only the American households that enjoy the said dessert.

    Chocolate chips, nuts, raspberry jam, coconut, cocoa powder, graham cracker, pudding, mini-marshmallows, and peanut butter are all typical components of this recipe, along with exotic ingredients like sour cream, vanilla, raisins, and pumpkin.

    People love experimenting with food using different ingredients. Thus, it is of no surprise anymore that wide varieties of these dessert bars have come to the spotlight. Among these varieties, however, the pumpkin bars took most of the limelight because of their spice that the rest of the dessert bars could not offer.

    Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

    Why Does This Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Works?

    You may prepare your pumpkin bars in various ways per the search results you may find on the internet. There is almost no limitation of the recipes for this dish that you may encounter. However, this particular recipe would work well with you and is the very must-try one because of the following reasons:

    • It is budget-friendly, and the ingredients are easy to find without the fear of being pricey.
    • Preparation time won't be that long. You don't have to wait for the bars to bake.
    • Finished with spiced cream cheese frosting! Should we say more?
    • Pumpkin bars would surely become our children's all-time favorite snack!
    • They are healthy and delicious snacks.
    Pumpkin Bars

    What's in This Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe?

    All-purpose Flour. All-purpose flour helps in building the structure of your Pumpkin Bars.

    Pumpkin. Pumpkin tastes like most winter squashes, though some are sweeter and more widely used in baking. Fresh pumpkin has a vibrant flavor, while canned pumpkin has a milder flavor. I used canned pumpkin in making this recipe; however, feel free to use homemade pumpkin if you like.

    Baking Soda. Baking soda is used as a chemical leavening in baking. It combines with an acid to produce carbon dioxide or plenty of bubbles, which helps your pumpkin bars rise.

    Spices. Add ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg to serve as your spices. These spices would really give your pumpkin bars a woody, citrusy, bittersweet flavor with traces of clove and a fresh, rich scent. They all have a rich flavor and are warm and aromatic.

    Butter. Butter is also crucial for Pumpkin Bars' structure; the fat and moisture in butter can stimulate or prevent gluten production, directly affecting the shape, spread, and texture of your bars. You will also use butter later for your frosting.

    Oil. Using canola oil for baking these Pumpkin Bars is the ideal option since it will not affect the finished product's flavor. However, you can also use sunflower or vegetable oil if you like.

    Granulated Sugar. Because of the size of the sugar crystals, it is ideal for aerating batters and doughs during the creaming process, resulting in light and soft crumbs when baked.

    Light Brown Sugar. The use of brown sugar will result in pumpkin bars that are softer and moister.

    Eggs. Eggs are essential in preparing our Pumpkin Bars since eggs provide structure, leavening, color, and flavor, among other things. When it comes to baking, the balance between eggs and flour is critical in determining the height and texture of this recipe.

    Vanilla Extract. Add sweetness to your bars and their frosting by adding drops of vanilla extract!

    For The Cream Cheese Frosting

    Cream Cheese. The flavor of cream cheese is mild and cheesy. You can compare it to mozzarella, as they are both relatively light in comparison with other cheeses.

    Powdered Sugar. The finer granules make powdered sugar ideal for preparing sweet meals that need to be smooth. This is the best-chosen type of sugar for baked good embellishments like frosting, glazing, and dusting.

    Butter. It gives the frosting an excellent buttery taste, and it improves the texture of the frosting.

    Vanilla extract. It adds extra flavour.

    Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

    How to Make The Best Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting?

    combine granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs.
    fold in the flour mixture.
    • Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 20x30 cm baking sheet with butter or line with parchment pepper.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. 
    • Microwave the butter until melted (about 20-30 seconds)and let it cool slightly.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, pour the butter and oil over the mixture and whisk until well combined.
    • Now, fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, stir until combined.
    • Spread the batter evenly into the baking sheet.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes, let cool completely.
    Preparing the cream cheese frosting

    Preparing the cream cheese frosting:

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract well until combined.
    • Spread the frosting over the pumpkin cake. Cut into squares and scatter some cinnamon on top.

    Top Tips!

    • Avoid over-mixing the batter. It will result in a denser and tougher pumpkin bar.
    • Measure your flour correctly, or your Pumpkin Bars will be a complete disaster.

    Some Variations

    • Decorate the bars with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy pumpkins.
    • You may use honey or maple syrup in place of vanilla extract.
    Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting

    Serving Suggestion

    Pair your healthy pumpkin bars with a hot espresso in the morning and freshly quizzed orange juice during snack time. Your kids will surely love them!

    Recipe FAQs

    How long can I store these Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting?

    When stored in the refrigerator, these bars will last for three days. It is recommended that you keep them refrigerated and not leave them out for more than two hours due to the dairy in the frosting.

    Can I keep my Pumpkin Bars in the freezer?

    Yes! After baking, you can freeze pumpkin bars. But for optimal results, do so before frosting. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze; thaw overnight and cover with cream cheese icing.

    Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
    Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

    Trying to bake this new delightful recipe to share with your family and loved ones? Share with us your thoughts and pumpkin bars stories!

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    Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
    Print Pin
    5 from 5 votes

    Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting

    These healthy pumpkin squares with cream cheese frosting are a quick and easy snack or dessert; they are also perfect for breakfast.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Squares With Cream Cheese Frosting
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 358kcal
    Author Radwa

    Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Mixing bowl
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cups

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 can pumpkin puree , not pie filling
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ cup unsalted butter , diced
    • ½ cup oil
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup light brown sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 226 g cream cheese , at room temperature
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter , at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 20x30 cm baking sheet with butter or line with parchment pepper.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
    • Microwave the butter until melted (about 20-30 seconds)and let it cool slightly.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, pour the butter and oil over the mixture and whisk until well combined.
    • Now, fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, stir until combined.
    • Spread the batter evenly into the baking sheet.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes, let cool completely.

    Preparing the cream cheese frosting

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract well until combined.
    • Spread the frosting over the pumpkin cake. Cut into squares and scatter some cinnamon on top.

    Notes

    • Avoid over-mixing the batter. It will result in a denser and tougher pumpkin bar.
    • Measure your flour correctly, or your Pumpkin Bars will be a complete disaster.
    • Decorate the bars with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, or candy pumpkins.
    • You may use honey or maple syrup in place of vanilla extract.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 4473IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mia Oliver

      November 17, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy and sweet. I love these bars so much, and the cream cheese makes them more rich and delicious.

      Reply

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    Hello! I’m Radwa, A wife and mother. Also, I am the recipe maker and food photographer behind Healthy Life Trainer. I love making new, simple and quick recipes every day.

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