PUMPKIN BARS WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Do you have room on your Pinterest board for one more pumpkin recipe? I Just pin this right now because it is the easiest recipe for pumpkin bars. In fact, these bars with cream cheese frosting may be THE pumpkin recipe for the season. These pumpkin bars are on my dessert board.

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I plan to make these the weekend before Thanksgiving when my boys and sister fly in for Thanksgiving.

I don’t know what’s yummier the cake-like pumpkin bars or the creamy cream cheese frosting.

Between you and me I could eat cream cheese frosting straight from the bowl…

with a big spoon.

This recipe reminds me why I love to bake from scratch.

There is something special about fresh ingredients and softened butter.

The pumpkin filling and pumpkin spice make the kitchen smell like a Hallmark movie.

Sidenote: Look at these substitutes you can make with pumpkin.

These dense bars are moist and if you cut them into small enough bars you can justify more than… two or three.

To create a dense bar I used my favorite set of everyday white dishes. I love these inexpensive baking dishes

for sides and desserts.

The pumpkin bars are yummy enough you could skip the cream cheese frosting, but why would you deny yourself the rich layer of frosting on top of these bars?

INGREDIENTS  

CAKE

• 15 OZ CANNED PUMPKIN
• 2 TSP PUMPKIN PIE SPICE
• 1/2 CUP OIL
• 1 STICK BUTTER SOFTENED
• 1/2 CUP BUTTERMILK
• 1/4 CUP BOILING WATER
• 3 EGGS
• 2 TSP BAKING SODA

• 2 TSP VANILLA
• 2 CUPS FLOUR
• 1 3/4 CUP SUGAR
• DASH SALT

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 BLOCK CREAM CHEESE
• 1 STICK BUTTER SOFTENED
• 1 POUND (BOX) POWDERED SUGAR
• DASH SALT (IF YOU LIKE)
• 1-2 TBSP HEAVY CREAM

INSTRUCTIONS 

• 1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350. SPRAY BAKING SHEET WITH COOKING SPRAY
• 2. MIX PUMPKIN AND PUMPKIN PIE SPICE. ADD OIL AND SOFTENED BUTTER AND BOILING WATER UNTIL MIXED COMPLETELY. SET ASIDE
• 3. IN A BOWL MIX BUTTER, MILK, EGGS, BAKING SODA AND VANILLA. SET ASIDE4. IN LARGE BOWL COMBINE FLOUR, SUGAR + SALT. . POUR IN THE PUMPKIN MIXTURE AND MIX. ADD THE BUTTERMILK MIXTURE AND MIX WELL.5. POUR INTO THE PAN AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES. REMOVE AND COOL.6. WHILE CAKE COOLS COMBINE CREAM CHEESE, BUTTER, POWDERED SUGAR, SALT, AND HEAVY CREAM. FROST ONCE THE CAKE IS COMPLETELY COOL.

I hope you enjoy these pumpkin bars!

If you want something sweet and salty try this Harvest Chex mix.

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