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Pumpkin Bars With Brown Sugar Frosting

Pumpkin bars with brown sugar frosting that bake into tender golden-orange squares, then get a caramel-brown, fluffy frosting spread while warm. The bars are baked at 350°F for 25–30 minutes and cooled completely before frosting.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the bars
  • 2 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1.67 cup sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For brown sugar frosting
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.33 cup heavy cream
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.125 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bars
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 15x10 pan. (Visual cue: the pan coating should look glossy, not dry.)
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. (Visual cue: the mixture should be a uniform color.)
  3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth. (Visual cue: no streaks of pumpkin remain.)
  4. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, then spread the batter in the greased pan. (Visual cue: batter should be level in the corners.)
  5. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes, until the center is set. (Visual cue: a toothpick in the middle comes out mostly clean.)
  6. Cool the bars completely before frosting. (Visual cue: the surface looks firm and not warm.)
Make and add the brown sugar frosting
  1. For the frosting, melt unsalted butter and brown sugar over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes. (Visual cue: it darkens to a caramel-brown color.)
  2. Add heavy cream and bring the mixture back to a boil, then let it cool for 15 minutes. (Visual cue: it thickens slightly before cooling.)
  3. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fluffy. (Visual cue: frosting becomes pale-gold and airy.)
  4. Spread the frosting immediately over the cooled bars, then let it firm as it cools. (Visual cue: the swirls hold their shape.)

Notes

Pro tip: cool the bars completely and add the frosting right after mixing so it spreads smoothly before it firms. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freezer: no, frosting texture may soften after thawing. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat butter and heavy cream, but keep the powdered sugar quantity the same for proper frosting body.