Pumpkin Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh Happy Day!  I got to bust out the pumpkin puree and the house has been smelling like fall ever since!  Pumpkin bars are my very favorite fall treat.  They're great with a glass of milk as a dessert or a cup of coffee in the morning.  


I like to kick mine up a notch by making cinnamon cream cheese frosting...you'll NEVER want cream cheese frosting any other way after trying these.  And the pumpkin bar is really almost like a cake...light, moist and fluffy.  This just melts in your mouth.  MM MM MM!

Adapted from Paula Dean

Bars
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 15-ounce can pumpkin
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
 Frosting
  • 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar {or to taste}
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla & cinnamon and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Here's one more looksie!


Now the real question is...what should I use the remaining pumpkin puree for?  Let me know your favorite pumpkin recipe!
Hope you enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

xo natasha

Linked to Tasty Tuesdays

55 comments :

  1. Holy Moses, that looks SO GOOD. I want one with my coffee right now!!

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  2. That looks amazing! I'm not a super fan of cream cheese frosting, but add some cinnamon and I'm all over it!

    How about pumpkin bread pudding?

    http://www.fiscallychic.com/2010/11/wannabe-pumpkin-pie.html

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  3. That looks SO yummy! I'm totally baking those pumpkin bars this weekend!

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  4. now my mouth is watering!!! thanks lol ... looks so good!

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  5. Oh man that looks good! I posted a bunch of pumpkin recipes today on my blog - maybe you'll find one you like for your leftover pumpkin! :)

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  6. This looks so good!!!! Urgh you just made me hungry!! ;) this really is fall rolled up into a cake..

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  7. I found a great recipe I made last fall for pumpkin cream cheese bars, but oh my, yours takes it to another level for sure! Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting?! Seriously? Looks heavenly. Thanks for sharing!!

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  8. OH YUMM! We are on the same page my dear :) I'm going to make these with the remaining pumpkin puree from my cookies the other night. You should do the same but with my cookies :)

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  9. These look delicious!Cinnamon adds such a great flavour to cakes.I want one now for my latte!!
    ~Anne

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  10. These look incredible!!!

    I'm a fan of The Culinary Couple's Pumpkin Sausage Pasta: http://theculinarycouple.com/2007/11/06/pumpkin-and-sausage-pasta-2/

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  11. Yes, please! We both have pumpkin on the brain. I just posted pumkin muffins yesterday! YUM!

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  12. Oh man there is pumpkin stuff all over the blog world today. I can't get enough! It's inspired me...today I'm getting a pumpkin spice latte after lunch. :)

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  13. Oh good heavens I cannot wait to make these! I am a huge pumpkin fan and I love seeing new recipes!

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  14. That photo is literally making my mouth water. They look amazing!!

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  15. Oh my gosh, yum!! I was just thinking to myself that I need to make something pumpkin-y! This may be it!

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  16. Glazed Pumpkin Cookies are the best!
    http://tuttidolci.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/glazed-pumpkin-cookies/

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  17. Oh! Yum! These look fantastic! Now I'm suddenly starving!!!

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  18. WOWZA, those look soooo yummy!
    I will have to try these ASAP!

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  19. So, I am over here blogging and eating my lunch while at work trying to get some work done and I literally stopped everything I was doing and my mouth started to salivated when I saw these pumpkin bars. Ummmm hello these look so amazingly good I had no idea there were even such things and with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese frosting is my fav!!! I cant not wait to make these. I might even fun to the grocery after work to pick up these ingredients I am so freaking excited to make them. Thanks for posting this!!!

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  20. oh my word...is that a slice of heaven on a plate???!!! that looks AMAZING, natasha :) xoxoxo brynn

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  21. Stop it. I LOVE pumpkin! If you haven't noticed I probably with be headed to pumpkin lovers anonymous soon. Thanks for feeding my addiction.

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  22. This looks soo soo good! I love anything and everything pumpkin this time of year. I made penne with a pumpkin sauce last night. Will be posting a recipe this week ... that's what I would use the leftovers for. It was heavenly.

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  23. I think I just gained 10 lbs looking at them!! Yum!!

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  24. gah, i am coming over to your house! :)

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  25. This is a fabulous Pumpkin Bar that we would really enjoy. Thanks for sharing and have a great day!
    Miz Helen

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  26. You had me at cream cheese frosting.... YUM! Your pumpkin bars look delicious, and I bet your house smells great after baking them!

    I found a recipe for pretzels made with pumpkin puree a while back - they're really good! Here's the link to my blog post about them, in case you'd like to try them out:

    http://jaxdoesdesign.blogspot.com/2010/11/getting-your-pumpkin-in-twist.html

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  27. Those look scrumptious. I love cream cheese icing on anything and pumpkin makes me happy its fall!

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  28. You need to try this pasta with pumpkin gorgonzola sauce. I add chicken and zucchini to mine and it is a perfect fall meal!

    http://www.potsandpins.com/blog/2008/10/pasta-with-mushrooms-and-pumpkin-gorgonzola-sauce.html

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  29. Here is another one ;)

    http://www.eat8020.com/2011/09/80ish-pumpkin-donut-holes.html

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  30. I have seen so many delicious pumpkin recipes! I need to make something pumpkin-esque stat!

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  31. I almost had to stop reading after the title so I wouldnt be tempted to make these :) I love some cream cheese icing. My little guys and I made Apple-pumpkin muffins yesterday from all the apple we picked last week. Recipe coming tomorrow- it would be perfect for your leftover puree!

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  32. Oh I am craving this now.
    Ps the black bean hummus was at a restaurant, so I don't have the recipe!

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  33. Why are you such a good baker/cook?! Tuesdays at Schue Love make me hungry!

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  34. EEEk, these look uhhhmazing!!!!
    have to make them pronto!!

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  35. uhhhh-MAZING!!!! perfect combo. will be trying this over the weekend! thanks!! and my husband thank you in advance. :)

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  36. this looks SO good!! I definitely will be trying it!

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  37. Oh Natasha! Yum!!! I love pumpkin and I'll def be trying this recipe out!

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  38. Looks so yummy!!! I love pumpkin and have been looking for a good dessert to go with a good fall dish. Thanks:)

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  39. This is greatness in cake form!

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  40. So what I think you and the hubby should do is quit your jobs. . .make these amazing dishes and ship them to us each week. I will pay good money. So delicious. I need to come visit so I can enjoy these things in person.

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  41. OH EM GEE! This is literally making my mouth water!!

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  42. use the extra pumpkin puree on the granola recipe I posted today OR add a tbsp or so to some greek yogurt and a dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice - perfect afternoon treat!

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  43. Why the heck am I typing instead of making this right now?! Looks amazing!

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  44. One little looksie has me feeling a little hungry :)

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  45. Cinnamon cream cheese frosting? Does it get any better than that?? I think not :)

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  46. I love your recipe! Would you come over to CAST PARTY WEDNESDAY at Lady Behind The Curtain and share your recipe with us tomorrow?
    Thanks,
    I hope to see you there!
    http://ladybehindthecurtain.com

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  47. Yuummmmmm!!!! I love pumpkin bread and this looks amazing! Definitely want to try!

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  48. These look so delicious! I just showed my husband the photo and he asked me if I could make them tonight! It's almost midnight here. That's how badly he is craving them. I promised to make them for him tomorrow. Thank for the recipe, Natasha!

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  49. These are making me expand my list for the grocery store today. :) They look seriously delicious---and I am so ready to incorporate some fall into our menu. Can't wait to try it out!

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  50. Seriously? I am jumping through my screen to eat a piece of that right now. yum.

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  51. Yum and I love cream cheese frosting!

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  52. These look amazing!! I definitely am going to need to make these very soon --- pumpkin, cinnamon, AND cream cheese?? I'm in :) xoxo

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