These pumpkin bars are made with pumpkin puree and fall spices, then topped with cream cheese frosting. Easy to make and the perfect dessert for fall!
Have you tried baking with whole wheat pastry flour yet? It is the bomb.com! All of the goodness of whole wheat but much lighter – perfect for cookies, muffins, cakes, and more.
Today’s recipe is perfect for Fall and great use of extra pumpkin you might have sitting in the house after Thanksgiving.
Only have a 32 oz can? Save the leftovers and use them all week long in my Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal with Chia
The secret to these moist and flavorful pumpkin bars is a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting that is swirled in the batter before baking.
Another secret ingredient is shredded carrots! Not only do they add extra vitamins and nutrients but the shredded carrots keep the batter super light and moist.
The end result is a pumpkin bar scented with warm fall spices and dotted with cream cheese frosting.
What is your favorite way to use leftover pumpkin?? I’d love to hear from you.
No forks required.
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 15 ounces pure pumpkin from can
- 1 large carrot shredded
Cream Cheese Topping:
- 4 oz light cream cheese
- ¼ c sugar
- 1 tbs skim milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with non-stick butter spray.
- In a small bowl, wisk together flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar and butter substitute with an electric mixer on high until crumbly.
- With mixer on medium, slowly add eggs one at a time.
- Continue mixing and add pumpkin and carrots.
- Add flour mixture to the wet mixture until well combined.
- Pour into jelly roll pan.
- In a small bowl, wisk together cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth.
- Drop teaspoon-fulls of topping over pumpkin batter and swirl and cut mixture into batter with a butter knife.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan completely on wire rack before cutting into squares.
Chef’s Notes
Nutrition
Looking for some dessert recipes? Check out my Pinterest board!
Nina Baire
I substituted the flour for coconut flour (sifted) the sugar for swerve and the sugar in the frosting for swerve confectionery sugar. Added some vanilla extract to the frosting. Left out carrots.
Liz DellaCroce
That sounds amazing Nina!
Janet
This pumpkin bar recipe knocked my socks off. I usually make the same pumpkin bread every year but I wanted to try something different with pumpkin. It is moist and has great flavor from all the spices and the cream cheese was perfect and didn’t over power the pumpkin. The hubby loved it. I gave him a fork with his piece and he said I don’t need a fork.
Liz DellaCroce
Oh my gosh this makes me so happy to hear!!!! Thank you so much!
Jayne Jares
Can these be successfully frozen?
Liz DellaCroce
Yes for sure!
Wendy Lewis
I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought I was all set to make it, but I didn’t purchase whole wheat pastry flour, but regular whole wheat flour. I couldn’t find the pastry flour at my store. I am new to cooking in a more healthy manner. Will my flour make it too dense and not even worth trying?
Liz DellaCroce
Regular whole wheat flour is fine but I definitely suggest trying whole wheat pastry flour if you’re in to healthy baking! It makes pancakes, muffins, breads, cookies, etc. much lighter but still has plenty of protein and fiber. Good luck let me know!
Liz DellaCroce
Ohh one other idea – use half whole wheat and half all purpose. :)
Wendy Lewis
I did end up going half and half. My two-year-old had a blast dumping in ingredients for me! I used a metal 9×13 pan because I didn’t have a jelly roll pan so it was more like cake, but was so moist and delicious! I also used pumpkin my husband had cooked from fresh and had been in the freezer since last fall. It thawed wonderfully and worked very well. I will keep looking for the pastry flour. Thank you!!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I’m so impressed you used fresh pumpkin!! So glad you enjoyed it – we will be making this again soon!!! BTW a jelly roll pan is just a fancy term for a baking sheet or cookie pan with sides. :)
Jessica
I like this recipe! It is like a perfect blend of carrot cake and pumpkin bars…I did end up putting cream cheese frosting on top instead of in a swirl because I’m a sucker for frosting..but this recipe is a winner! Thanks for the great idea..
The Lemon Bowl
So glad you liked it!! Great idea on the frosting. ;-)
Christine
Those look yummy. I’ll have to give them a try. Now to pin them so I remember too:-)
The Lemon Bowl
Let me know what you think!!