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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.
Perfection! This is a great twist on a pumpkin bread! A little more dense, very moist, FULL of fresh flavor! The Brown Sugar frosting is DIVINE and it’s the first time I’ve successfully made a frosting – my tip? Do not rush it! Let your butter sit out (I let mine out for an hour) so it can be soft enough to make your end result light and fluffy! I whipped my butter/brown sugar for 6 or 7 minutes, took my time adding the powdered sugar, and then let it get really extra whippy at the end. It was more frosting than we like so I didn’t use it all but for those who like extra frosting, this recipe provides for that. ENJOY! (We devoured it before any pics could be taken for evidence!)
So happy you loved this recipe!
Wow! This was amazingly good. Dense and delicious. That frosting… Yummmy!
Hi there!
What adjustments would need to be made to bake these in a 9×13 cake pan? Or a 1/2 sheet pan?
Thank you!
Karin
Hi Karin! You would double the recipe completely to bake in a 9×13 pan and add a few minutes onto the baking time 🙂 We haven’t tried a 1/2 sheet pan with this recipe, but the common rule is to make 1.5x the amount. Doubling will result in an overflowed pan! Here’s a great article by King Arthur Baking that may help you in the future!
I doubled the recipe and I’m glad I did because these are awesome!!! I found them to be easy to make. The frosting is SO GOOD!! Everybody loved them! Another perfect recipe. Thank you!!
Loved this recipe!! The bars were perfectly moist and spiced and the icing was so fluffy and the perfect sweetness to complement the bars 🙂 Definitely recommend as this was also so easy to make!
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, thanks so much for letting us know!
Hi,
Everyone loved these bars but, when I made the brown sugar frosting it was crunchy. I looked online for suggestions about how to fix it and none of them worked, so I re-made the frosting but sifted the brown sugar before combining it with the butter, and made sure not to under beat it because of what happened the first time I made it. (I keep the brown sugar in a canning jar canister with a tightly sealed lid, so it wasn’t hard or dried out) Even after sifting there was still a little crunch to it, so I threw it out again and just made a buttercream. But I really would like to make that brown sugar frosting, what did I do wrong? Ultimately the bars were a HUGE hit, but I was disappointed about the whole frosting thing. (And, call me crazy but, I’m going to try buying a fresh box of brown sugar and remaking it a third time because I REALLY want to make that frosting work! Haha!) Thanks for the recipe and any tips you may be able to send my way.
Hi Sil! This brown sugar frosting is just not as smooth by its nature as a powdered sugar frosting. We think of it as being a bit like cookie dough! You could try using a different brand of sugar or even a different buttercream if you don’t care for the texture of brown sugar. Here’s a link to our Best Ever Buttercream recipe — vanilla, cinnamon, or even maple buttercream would be absolutely delicious with these bars. I hope that helps!
If the brown sugar is too gritty for your likes, I would just make a cream cheese frosting instead!
Delicious, made for neighbors party and everyone loved them
Can these bars be made with almond flour vs all purpose flour. The sound and look awesome
Hi Linda! We haven’t tried that, we don’t use almond flour in our recipes. Good luck!
Hi Emily! Thank you for a wonderful recipe! It was just the right spicy mix and the lighter frosting really complemented the moist pumpkin bars. Everyone loved it!!!
Aw yay!! So happy to hear that, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Amazing recipe! The pumpkin bars are a hit with my family. Easy recipe to whip up for everyone to enjoy. HTH knocked this one out of the park.
Hooray!! So happy to hear they were such a hit!! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi, I have been dying to make these bars! I have a fresh jar of McCormick pumpkin spice. How can I substitute that for the spices you have listed? Thank you so much!
We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Your best bet is to substitute in an equal amount of pumpkin spice for the individual spices, then add more to taste. Keep in mind that the end result won’t taste quite the same though as pumpkin pie spice is only about half cinnamon. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Hi- my friend made these bars and gave me the recipe so can’t wait to bake them this weekend – they were heavenly!
One question – for the frosting – do I sift the powdered sugar before measuring? Or just sift it after measuring?
thanks –
Hi Eve! Excited for you to enjoy them! You will measure the powdered sugar, then sift. Just for future reference, anything listed after a comma for an ingredient will be done after measuring the ingredient. So if the ingredient is listed instead as “1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar”, then you would sift prior to measuring. I hope that makes sense!