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Pumpkin cream cheese bars offer a delightful blend of moist pumpkin cake and tangy cream cheese swirl, creating a perfect fall dessert.
yummy fall flavors!
We love fall in our house because it means pumpkin recipes! These pumpkin cream cheese bars are a favorite seasonal dessert, packed with the best flavors of the season.
They’re pumpkin “bars”, but the consistency is somewhere in between our popular Pumpkin Brownies and Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. And they have the most DELICIOUS swirls of cream cheese throughout!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Perfect fall treat. These are perfect for pumpkin spice lovers with a tangy twist!
- Save for later. This bar recipe is perfect for freezing and saving for a rainy day.
- Super simple. These are a breeze to whip up and they bake very quickly. Just use a little patience as they cool and set before digging in!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 8 minutes
BAKE TIME: 25 minutes
COOL TIME: 2 hours
Pumpkin Layer
- 2 cups all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar- granulated
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – store-bought or make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs – room temperature eggs incorporate better than cold eggs.
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree – Make sure that you buy real pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Layer
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened – do not use cream cheese spread, you will need a block or full-fat cream cheese.
- ¼ cup sugar – granulated
- 1 large egg – room temperature
- 1 tablespoon milk – if needed add extra milk to get a texture that can be swirled.
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips – you can also sprinkle on chopped nuts.
How to Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
- PUMPKIN. Stir 2 cups flour, 1½ cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add 4 eggs, 15 ounces pumpkin puree, and 1 cup oil, stir until combined. Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 15×10 pan, or line the pan with parchment paper.
- CREAM CHEESE. With an electric mixer, cream 4 ounces cream cheese and ¼ cup sugar. Beat in 1 egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Drizzle over your pumpkin layer. Gently use a knife to swirl the mixtures. Sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips on top.
- BAKE. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Add more chips on the top if desired when cake has cooled for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about two hours.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Layer
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, and oil, and stir until combined. Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 15×10 pan.
- With an electric mixer, cream your cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg and milk. Drizzle over your pumpkin layer. Gently use a knife to swirl the mixtures. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Add more chips on the top if desired when cake has cooled for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about two hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store cooled bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze these bars after they’ve cooled completely. Wrap them tightly or store them airtight for up to 3 months, and defrost the bars in the fridge before serving.
Adapted from Kitchen Meets Girl.
Can I freeze these bars?
When you made this in a 15×10 pan, did you use a cookie sheet kind of pan, jelly roll pan, or a sheet cake kind of pan?
YUM!
My family loved these. They look like you know how to cook something really nice.