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    Home » Brownies & Bars » Pumpkin Bars

    Pumpkin Bars

    Published: Nov 12, 2014 by Jen Sobjack · 50 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

    Jump to Recipe

    These Pumpkin Bars have a gingersnap crust with creamy pumpkin filling topped with a crunchy crumble topping. This is truly the perfect fall recipe!

    stack of pumpkin bars on brown board with parchment paper

    These flavorful pumpkin bars will hit the spot when you're craving pumpkin. They're the perfect marriage of pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. You could almost call them pumpkin cheesecake bars.

    They also have the most glorious crumble topping that adds texture. Although the bars would fine without the topping, I highly recommend it.

    All the pumpkin bar recipes I've seen are basically squares of cake with cream cheese frosting. Why not just call it pumpkin cake?!

    I wanted my recipe to stand out from the rest and went with what I consider to be a true pumpkin bar.


    Why this recipe works

    • The gingersnap crust is thick and sturdy enough to support the filling.
    • The filling is made with cream cheese to help thicken it while keeping it creamy.
    • The topping is optional but totally worth it! It adds a nice texture contrast.
    pumpkin bars on parchment lined cutting board with a fork taking a bite out of one

    The ingredients you need

    To make the best pumpkin bars, you will need the following ingredients:

    • Gingersnap crumbs: This makes up the base of the bars. You can use graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs instead.
    • Butter: Unsalted butter works best and I prefer to use sweet cream butter for baking.
    • Sugar: Brown sugar and white sugar are used in the different components of the recipe.
    • Cream cheese: Look for full-fat brick-style cream cheese.
    • Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature.
    • Pumpkin: Look for canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also make your own puree from fresh pumpkin.
    • Spices: Vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give the bars classic fall flavor.
    • Flour & oats: You only need these for the topping, if you choose to use it.

    How to make pumpkin bars

    Make the crust: Mix gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and butter together until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes.

    melted butter poured into bowl of gingersnap crumbs and sugar, bowl of those ingredients fully combined, and  combined ingredients being pressed into pan lined with parchment paper

    Make the topping: Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together until dry ingredients are well coated in butter. Set aside while you make the filling.

    crumble topping in glass bowl

    Make the filling: Beat cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and spices. Pour the filling over the baked crust.

    creamed sugar and cream cheese in glass bowl, egg added to creamed mixture, and pumpkin bar filling being poured over baked crust

    Bake: Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow the bars to cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

    topping sprinkled over unbaked pumpkin bars in pan

    Cut into bars and serve!

    pumpkin bars on brown board with parchment paper

    Tips For Success

    • Use room temperature ingredients. Ingredients emulsify easier if they are all the same temperature. Set the cold ingredients out for about one hour before beginning.
    • Don't overmix the filling once you add the eggs. Incorporating too much air into the eggs will cause the bars to crack during baking.
    • These bars are great without the topping. Serve them with sweetened whipped cream instead.

    Freezing & Storing

    Storing: Baked and cooled bars will keep for up to 4 days covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.

    To freeze: Baked and cooled bars will keep for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Watch how to make it

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    Continue to Content
    pumpkin bars on brown board with parchment paper

    Pumpkin Crumble Bars

    Yield: 16 bars
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 55 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

    Thick, creamy pumpkin filling layered over a gingersnap crust and topped with a brown sugar crumble.

    Ingredients

    For the crust

    • 1 ⅔ cups (195 g) gingersnap crumbs
    • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted

    For the topping

    • ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup (34 g) old-fashioned oats
    • ½ cup (105 g) light brown sugar, packed
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

    For the filling

    • 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened - Note 1
    • ½ cup (105 g) light brown sugar, packed
    • 3 large eggs, room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 15 ounces (425 g) canned pumpkin puree - Note 2
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

    Instructions

    Make the crust

    1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. Set aside.
    2. Combine the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and butter. Mix well. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

    Make the topping

    1. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir with a fork to combine.
    2. Drizzle melted butter over the mixture and toss with a fork until all dry ingredients are well coated with butter. Set aside while you make the filling.

    Make the filling

    1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
    2. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Continue to mix on medium-low speed until well combined and creamy.
    3. Spread the filling evenly over the warm crust. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling. 
    4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is set and the crumb topping is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the bars begin to get too brown.
    5. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Lift the parchment overhang to remove and cut into squares.

    Notes

    1. Full-fat brick-style cream cheese works best. Allow it to come to room temperature before using.
    2. Look for pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

    Make ahead tip

    • Storing: Baked and cooled bars will keep for up to 4 days covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator.
    • To freeze: Baked and cooled bars will keep for up to 1 month wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Recommended Products

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • Handheld Electric Mixer
      Handheld Electric Mixer
    • Mixing Bowls
      Mixing Bowls
    • 9-inch Square Pan
      9-inch Square Pan
    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 bar
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 4g

    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the values shown are just an estimate.

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    Mention @introvertbaker or tag #introvertbaker!

    © Jen Sobjack
    Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies & Bars

    This recipe has been updated to make the bars easier to cut and hold shape. This was achieved by removing the Greek yogurt and pecans. You can make the original recipe by adding ½ cup (100 grams) Greek yogurt to the filling and substituting the oats for ⅓ cup (33 grams) pecans, chopped.

    Previous Post: « Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes
    Next Post: Spiced Pear Bread »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle says

      November 21, 2020 at 7:58 am

      I made these last year for the first time and the recipe looks different this year. Wasn’t there Greek yogurt in the filling and pecans in the topping?

      Reply
      • Jen Sobjack says

        November 21, 2020 at 12:22 pm

        This recipe has been updated to make the bars easier to cut and hold shape. This was achieved by removing the Greek yogurt and pecans. You can make the original recipe by adding 1/2 cup (100 grams) Greek yogurt to the filling and substituting the oats for 1/3 cup (33 grams) pecans, chopped.

        Reply
        • Gayle says

          November 21, 2020 at 12:33 pm

          Thank you so much! Everyone loved them last year and I wanted to make sure it was the same one!

    2. Meredith says

      November 09, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Can these be made ahead and frozen?

      Reply
      • Jen Sobjack says

        November 11, 2019 at 11:51 am

        Yes. They'll keep for up to 3 months stored in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

        Reply
    3. Katrena Fraka says

      December 06, 2016 at 2:17 pm

      I made these for Thanksgiving this year and they were sooooo delicious! Everyone wanted the recipes and it was the most popular dish at Thanksgiving? Loved it!!

      Reply
    4. Allie says

      November 20, 2016 at 8:13 pm

      I just finished putting this in the oven and noticed midway through that you didn't specify how much vanilla to use in the filling. Also, the crumble topping was really powdery, not at all like the picture. Seemed like it needed a lot more butter to hold everything together, but since it's pretty late at night and my pregnancy cravings right now include all things pumpkin, I decided to roll with it. So long story short, how much vanilla are you supposed to use, and 1/4 of a teaspoon of butter really all that you used in the topping? Every other streusel recipe I've seen calls for at least 1/4 of a cup.... Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jen Sobjack says

        November 21, 2016 at 8:11 am

        I do apologize for that. We are in the process of converting recipes to a new format and things must have gotten jumbled in the process. I've updated the recipe to reflect the correct ingredients and measurements. Thank you for your patience!

        Reply
    5. Claire in Baltimore says

      November 19, 2016 at 7:53 am

      These are AWESOME!!! I made them last night to take to a friend's party tonight! They turned out perfectly and the gingersnap crust is such a nice touch! I will definitely make them again for Thanksgiving! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Jen Sobjack says

        November 21, 2016 at 8:07 am

        Thank you so much, Claire! I'm happy the bars were a hit at the party!!

        Reply
    6. Hannah says

      October 06, 2016 at 10:10 pm

      I'd been making the same pumpkin recipes for almost a decade and needed a change. I made this one, and it's so good! It's going in my recipe book. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Jen says

        October 07, 2016 at 10:09 am

        That's wonderful to hear!

        Reply
    7. MAUDE says

      January 24, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      I linked from tumblr to one recipe and ended up spending a lot of time exploring all your other thoughts and recipes. I've not done this for a long time. luv ur blog and content. will follow u....

      Reply
      • Jen Sobjack says

        January 25, 2016 at 8:46 am

        Thank you so much for the kind comment, Maude! And welcome to my site. I hope to see you around!!

        Reply
    8. Michelle says

      November 26, 2015 at 11:09 am

      ive never seen a 4oz package of cream cheese. Should I be using 1/2 package or a full 8 oz package? Help!

      Reply
      • Jen says

        November 28, 2015 at 7:18 pm

        Yes, 4 ounces would be half of an 8 ounce package.

        Reply
    9. Kirsten says

      November 17, 2015 at 1:50 pm

      This was a great recipe! The only problem I had was I forgot to spray the pan, and my ginger snap crust stuck to the pan. Definitely trying again for Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Jen says

        November 18, 2015 at 11:54 am

        Thank you, Kristen! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Please come back for more great ideas!

        Reply
    10. Dan says

      November 16, 2015 at 7:21 am

      This was delicious

      Reply
      • Jen says

        November 16, 2015 at 12:04 pm

        Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe.

        Reply
    11. Cecilia says

      August 04, 2015 at 11:53 am

      I made these last night, I did not like it. I think it needs more cream cheese , and also more spices.
      Next time I will use 8 oz. cream cheese and a little more spices then it calls for. Also I think using a. graham cracker crust would be better. My husband and I thought it was to dry and not like a smooth soft filling.

      Reply
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