Highlight of Fall: Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pumpkin-mini-Bundts-maple-cream-cheese.jpg)
If you haven’t heard, the 2009-2010 canned pumpkin shortage is history! So get that can opener cranked up because if you don’t bake a pan of these crazy-good Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting for Thanksgiving, you might as well skip the holiday all together. And you wouldn’t want to disappoint the pilgrims.
Although I mostly make these bars in a sheet cake pan, I sometimes bake them as mini Bundt cakes. Once they are cooled, I slice them horizontally, spread a little frosting, put the top back on, and fill the middle with more frosting.
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/pumpkin-bars-with-maple-icing.jpg)
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/iced_pumpkin_blondies-1024x727.jpg)
If you love these flavors, also try pumpkin cake with maple buttercream, maple nut bars and triple butterscotch cupcakes butterscotch maple frosting.
![slice of 2-layer pumpkin cake with maple buttercream frosting](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/slice-pumpkin-cake-IMG_6582-copy.jpg)
![Maple nut candy bars recipe](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/maple-nut-bars-edited_97811.jpg)
![Triple Butterscotch Cupcakes with Butterscotch Maple Frosting](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/triple_butterscotch_cupcakes.jpg)
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving sweets?
Sweet wishes,
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/staci.jpg)
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RS_ICON4-1024x1024.jpg)
Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 15×10 jelly roll pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened , 12 tablespoons
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie mix
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2⅓ cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons maple flavoring
- sprinkle of ground cinnamon for topping
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15×10 jelly roll pan.
- In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- In a separate large bowl beat sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin.
- Gradually beat in flour mixture. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat softened cream cheese, 3 Tablespoons butter, and powdered sugar with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth. Add flavoring. Add a little more powdered sugar if you want it thicker. Spread on completely cooled bars. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon.
Nutrition
![](https://randomsweets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RS_1COLOR-300x75.jpg)
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
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