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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfectly sweet with rich brown sugar flavor and just the right amount of pumpkin spice.
Texture: Light and fluffy yet moist and slightly dense from the pumpkin, topped with creamy frosting with a delicious, slightly crunchy texture (like cookie dough!).
Ease: Super easy to make, and you don’t even need a mixer for the bars!
Why you’ll love this recipe: These pumpkin bars are an easy, crowd-pleasing fall treat with a thick layer of brown sugar frosting that perfectly complements the soft, spiced bars.
Get ready to fall in love with your new favorite fall bake! Yes, these Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting are seriously that good.
Is there anything more comforting than the aroma of spiced treats baking away in your oven? Just like my viral Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake, my easy Apple Crisp Recipe, and my Chai Sugar Cookies, these babies will waft the most heavenly autumnal scent throughout your house!
These Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting are a total crowd-pleaser. And just to put the icing on the cake (pun intended lol), they’re also super quick and easy!
Ready in under an hour, you truly can’t go wrong with these Pumpkin Bars.
Perfect for any fall party or potluck, as a Thanksgiving pie alternative, or even mid-summer when you’re just missing those fall vibes, these bars have got you covered.
Reader Love
I was looking for something pumpkin for Thanksgiving besides pie and came across this recipe. The picture looked yummy so I made them… should have made a double batch They were delicious and because there was still some left, the kids were back the next day to see if any was left. Making it for Christmas too
One of the best recipes I’ve made!!! I doubled the recipe, and baked in a 13 by 9 pan. It only needed a couple extra minutes in the oven. I didn’t double the frosting, and it was the perfect amount for me. Delicious!
Key Ingredients
Pumpkin Puree: Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains added sugar and spices. I like Libby’s Pure Canned Pumpkin Puree for its consistent texture and moisture.
Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, butterscotch-like flavor to the bars. It also gives the frosting its signature brown sugar flavor and crunch! The slight crunch reminds me of eating cookie dough or the streusel topping on a pie.
All-Purpose Flour: Measure your flour with a digital kitchen scale for the best results. Too much flour can make the bars dry and cakey instead of soft and moist. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon-and-level method.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give these bars their warm pumpkin spice flavor. Make sure your spices are fresh, or else your bars will be bland.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars (Step By Step)
Mix the wet ingredients: Melt the butter and let cool until just warm. Whisk in the brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
Make the batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the wet ingredients until just combined.
Bake: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before frosting.
Make the frosting: Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in the cinnamon and salt, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and milk, then beat until light and fluffy.
Frost and Serve: Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and cut into squares.
Sprinkle of Science (open me!)
For the most consistent results, use canned pumpkin puree rather than fresh homemade puree. Canned pumpkin has a more consistent moisture content, while homemade puree can vary depending on the pumpkin and how it’s prepared. Too much moisture can affect the texture of your bars.
Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.
Learn more in my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin guide.
Storage & Make ahead
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let the bars come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Freezing: Freeze frosted bars in a single layer or as a whole slab in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! If you prefer a smooth frosting without the slight crunch from the brown sugar, use my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon if desired. You can also use half batch of my Best Buttercream Recipe.
Use an 8×8-inch light-colored metal pan for the best results. Dark pans can brown the edges too quickly, while glass and ceramic pans heat more slowly and affect the baking time, causing an underdone center. Learn more in my Glass vs. Metal Pans guide.
Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch light-colored metal pan. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time, so check for doneness before removing the bars from the oven.
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Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at cool room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (212 grams) pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
For the frosting:
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk, plus more if needed
Instructions
Make the bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter until melted. Allow to cool until just warm (about 80°F). Once cool, whisk in the brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Batter will be thick. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add in the cinnamon and salt. On low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. If the frosting becomes too runny, add more powdered sugar. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash more milk. Spread the frosting evenly all over the pumpkin bars.
- Cut into squares before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2024 with new photos and baking tips (recipe remained the same). Photos by Ashley Barbey.
THESE BARS ARE AMAZING! I ran out of milk for the frosting so I used an extra 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I also added 1/4th of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredient mixture. What an amazing dessert I’m in heaven ! My husband doesn’t like pumpkin anything and is licking his fingers from these! Thank you so much such a great recipe !
So great to hear, Abigail! Happy to hear it was such a hit with your husband, thanks so much for sharing!
The frosting was amazing. The bars were dry and very dense. I baked them for less time than suggested too. I would make this frosting again in a minute, but not the bars.
I’m so sorry to hear you had issues with this recipe, Jeannine! It sounds like too much flour may have been added to the recipe, do you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients?
Very rarely do I find a recipe on Pinterest that I’d never make again but this is one of them. The taste of the bars is bland with not enough spice or pumpkin flavor. The icing was grainy and my brown sugar was fresh and mixed in well. A friend who tasted one asked, “Are these pumpkin?” That pretty much says it all.
This was delicious and easy. A big hit with my office crowd when I forced myself to share!
haha love it! So happy they were enjoyed, hopefully you saved a few for yourself at home! 😉
Excellent bars. My family loved them with two members stating, “These are one of the best things you’ve ever made!” My very picky 15 year old that has some health issues and definite struggles with appetite, loved them. It was a unique and wonderful experience to have him actually eat and like something. This recipe is a keeper!
So happy to hear that, wonderful!! I’ll be sure to pass this along to Tessa, glad everyone loved them 🙂
OMG!!! This was such a HUGE HIT with my family and friends. It was the first pumpkin recipe I made of the season…bringing in that Fall weather! And man, it totally didn’t disappoint; nor did it last long! I doubled the pumpkin bar recipe, but not the frosting; and it was still a perfect balance of all the flavors. I ate these both at room temperature after baking, as well as cold after being stored in the fridge. They are yummy both ways, but I believe they are their BEST at room temperature!
Wonderful to hear!! So happy you loved this recipe, Jennifer, and that it was a hit with your family and friends! Thanks for the rave review 🙂
These bars are delicious pumpkin-y heaven. The frosting is really good, though I didn’t have good luck with the frosting. Probably user error.
I ended up using just half a can of pumpkin and it worked just fine. So one can of pumpkin can make these twice – and you’ll want to make it twice so that works well.
This is such a wonderful recipe for fall, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! What happened with your frosting? Hopefully I can help perfect it for the next time you make this recipe 🙂
This recipe is delicious! Cake was super moist yet also just dense enough to stay together like a bar. Delicious pumpkin flavor and not too spicy. My only issue was that my brown sugar frosting had a crunchy texture most especially on the first day of making it. It was very evident on the first bite. But by the second day the crunchy texture wasn’t immediately evident and the “crunchiness” seemed to have settled a bit but was still there. Is this normal for brown sugar frosting? Or could it mean I needed to mix the brown sugar and butter longer?
Hi Suzanne! It sounds like you needed to mix the brown sugar and butter longer, especially since you said as the cake sat, the crunchiness started to “disappear”. Was your brown sugar dried out at all? That could also have been the issue. How long did you beat the butter and brown sugar for?
These came out perfect and super easy! Really good recipe!
So happy you loved them, thanks for letting us know!
Tessa, can this be doubled in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Carol! Yes, it can! Enjoy your pumpkin bars 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! In the directions of this recipe, it states how to store these bars as well as how long they last 🙂 Hope that helps!
This looks so good! Do you use this frosting in any other recipes?
Hi Suzanne, thank you! We don’t currently use this frosting with other recipes, but you can easily do so! This may have to be a recipe we revisit in the future-that frosting is divine! Excited for you to try it 🙂
I don’t have a light metal baking dish. I only have dark and glass. Is there one you would recommend over the other? Should i still line with foil?
Hi Rei! We don’t recommend using dark-colored pans as they heat too aggressively and can dry out these bars. Glass conducts heat more slowly, resulting in edges that will cook more quickly than the center is baked, which can result in an underbaked and sunken center. If you must use glass, drop the temperature by 25°F and increase the bake time by about 5-10 minutes (we haven’t tested this recipe in a glass pan, so I’d recommend checking at that additional 5-minute mark and see if your tester comes out clean and go from there). You will still need to line the pan with foil so the bars don’t stick. Good luck!