Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfectly balanced sweetness with butterscotchy brown sugar flavors and just the right amount of pumpkin and spice.
Texture: The bars are thick and soft without being overly cakey. The frosting is luscious and creamy with a slight crunch from the brown sugar (like the streusel topping on a pie!)
Ease: Super easy. You don’t even need a mixer for the bars.
Pros: Easy, crowd-pleasing fall treat.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Absolutely!
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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
These are soooooo good! Recipe was so easy to follow, the bars are so moist but thick, and the frosting just makes it. Will DEFINITELY make these again!
–
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting
What Type of Pumpkin for Pumpkin Bars?
- Be sure to use canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
- I used Libby’s Pure Canned Pumpkin Puree.
- Fresh pureed pumpkin may work too, but we haven’t experimented with that here.
- Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin.
The Spices in Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting
Feel free to adjust the spices a little if you prefer more or less spice. Check your spices to ensure they’re not expired. If they are expired, toss them and purchase new ones; otherwise, your Pumpkin Bars may be bland.
The Brown Sugar Frosting
This brown sugar frosting retains a little crunch, which sets it apart from a typical buttercream using powdered sugar. I personally love it! The slight crunch reminds me of eating cookie dough or the streusel topping on a pie.
Can I Make Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Instead?
If the idea of a slightly crunchy frosting doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to use a batch of my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon if desired.
You could also use a half batch of my Best Buttercream Recipe instead if preferred.
Best Pan for Baking Pumpkin Bars
I recommend using an 8-inch square light-colored metal pan for these Pumpkin Bars. Avoid dark-colored pans as they heat too aggressively and can dry out the bars. I don’t recommend using a glass, ceramic, or silicone pan. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Pans here.
Can I Double this Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch light-colored metal pan, adding a few minutes to the bake time.
How to Store Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting?
Store Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting?
Yes! Freeze frosted sliced Pumpkin Bars in a single layer or as a full slab inside an airtight container for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature before serving.
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love:
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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.
These are amazing what is so special is even though they look thick and heavy, they are light and fluffy and delicious!!
So glad you enjoyed these, Molly!! 🙂
Hands down our family’s fave fall treat! We make it once a week from October through December! And a few times in between when we’re missing fall too much! Thank you!!
Yay! So glad to hear that, Jess!
This recipe was a hit in our house! Thanks so much. Already can’t wait to make it again. Easy and fun to make for fall season, moist, and everyone loved it! My frosting had a sugary grit to it from the brown sugar even after beating it, is that how it’s supposed to be? Might even try a cream cheese frosting next time I make it! Thanks again!!
Yay! So glad these bars were a hit, Nina!!
OMG Tessa! These are amazing! The spice flavours are perfect, the bars are dense and moist and THAT ICING!! I see this is one of your older recipes but it’s definitely a keeper and will be on repeat in my kitchen. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
These are awesome! I added 1/2 teaspoon of cloves too!
Is it common that these did not pour out of the bowl but rather I had to spread them?
Hi Mimi! Yes, this is a pretty thick batter – but I hope you found it as delicious as we do!! Let us know what you thought of these bars 🙂
Planning on making these and am wondering do you use any cooking spray over the foil or parchment paper? Can’t wait to update on the recipe itself!
Hi Heidi! Feel free to spay your parchment, but we haven’t had any trouble with these bars sticking to un-sprayed parchment 🙂 Let us know what you think once you’ve given this recipe a try!! Happy baking 🙂
These were AMAZING! The frosting consistency was perfect, the best I’ve ever made. Printing this one off to put in the family cookbook. Thank you!
Can you add chocolate chips to this recipe? I want to try and make without the frosting so was wondering if semi-sweet chips could do the trick similar to the choc chip pumpkin blondies! Thank you!
Hi Melissa! We haven’t tried that, but it should work okay! I’d try one to two cups of chocolate chips to start and see how that goes 🙂
These were wonderful! I doubled the recipe, they were moist and the brown sugar in the frosting made them super special!
Awesome! Pinned and added to my baking collection. Easy to make, moist, wonderful flavor, and really fun frosting!
Hi Kelli! So excited to hear that!! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
I used fresh pumpkin pureee and it turned out well and had a brighter orange color.