Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

5 from 20 votes

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars are soft and spiced with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cream cheese swirl, and mini chocolate chips.

Prep Time8

Cook Time25

Cool2

Total Time2 33

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

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 the batter into an ungreased 15x10 pan.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the 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 top if desired, when the cake has cooled for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about two hours.

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Use softened cream cheese. Room-temperature cream cheese mixes more smoothly with the sugar, egg, and milk, helping prevent lumps in the swirl.
Don't overmix the pumpkin batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined to help keep the cake layer tender.
Use a knife to make a few gentle swirls through the cream cheese and pumpkin layers. Avoid mixing them together completely so you can see the pretty pattern.
Begin checking around 25 minutes. The pumpkin layer should be set, and a toothpick inserted into a cake-only area should come out without wet batter.

Store. Let the bars cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because they contain a cream cheese layer, keep them refrigerated and avoid leaving them at room temperature for extended periods.

Freeze. Cool the bars completely, then cut them into squares and wrap them individually or arrange them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving. The cream cheese swirl may soften or change texture slightly after freezing.

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