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Home » Recipes » Single Serving Desserts

By Joanie Zisk Published: Sep 19, 2022 · Updated: Sep 19, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · Please read my disclosure

Small Batch Pumpkin Bars

Jump to Recipe
pumpkin bars

This is the best small batch pumpkin bars recipe. Perfectly spiced pumpkin bars topped with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting. No need to make a big batch, this small batch recipe gives you the perfect amount!

a pumpkin bar on a yellow plate.

Pumpkin bars are a dessert I make every fall. As soon as cans of pumpkin begin to arrive on the store shelves, I grab a few so that I can start my fall baking.

These pumpkin bars have an incredible pumpkin spice flavor, they're soft and tender and are topped with an easy-to-make cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin bars are perfect to enjoy for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. They're the ultimate fall treat and this recipe yields the perfect amount if you're cooking for one or two people.

Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • How To Make A Small Batch Of Pumpkin Bars
  • Expert Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Variations
  • Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
  • Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

  • Tested and perfected recipe: This recipe is adapted from the pumpkin bars recipe that I've used for years. When my five children were living at home, a large baking tray of these bars was ideal for our large family. Now that my children are grown, I certainly don't want to make a large batch and this small batch recipe yields the perfect amount.
  • Incredibly moist and delicious: These bars have a big pumpkin flavor and are generously spiced with the flavors of fall.
  • Made with easy-to-find ingredients: Our pumpkin bars are made with ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One

four pumpkin bars with a white cream frosting on a baking sheet.

Ingredients

pumpkin bars ingredients on a kitchen counter
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Ingredient Notes

See the recipe box below for the full ingredient list, ingredient amounts, and full recipe instructions.

  • Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée is pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling contains sugar and spices.
  • Vegetable oil: This adds moisture to the cake bars. You can use canola oil or another light-tasting oil instead.
  • Flour: Use all-purpose or plain flour. To make gluten-free pumpkin bars, use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour. I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour.
  • Baking powder and baking soda: These are leavening agents that cause the batter to rise when baked.
  • Vanilla extract: We use vanilla extract in the cream cheese frosting. You might like to use maple syrup instead.
  • Cream cheese: Use either full or low-fat cream cheese.

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

How To Make A Small Batch Of Pumpkin Bars

See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
  2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the egg, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
mixing pumpkin, an egg, sugar, and oil in a mixing bowl
  1. In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a small mixing bowl
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed combined.
pumpkin bars batter in a mixing bowl
  1. Pour the batter into a small lightly buttered baking dish.

Pro Tip: I use a 4x6-inch baking dish that has a base area of 24 square inches. You can also use a 5x5-inch baking dish with a base area of 25 square inches or a 6x6-inch dish which will yield thinner pumpkin bars that may bake faster.

unbaked pumpkin bars in a small baking dish
  1. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and place the baking dish on a rack to cool completely.
mini pumpkin cake in a small baking dish

Make The Cream Cheese Frosting

Pro Tip: Although the cake is absolutely delicious on its own, a cream cheese frosting is typically spread over the cake before cutting it into bars. Feel free to leave off the frosting if preferred.

  1. Combine the softened cream cheese and softened butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined and smooth. Spread over cooled pumpkin cake and cut into squares.
one small pumpkin cake with white frosting and sprinkles.

RELATED: Best Soup Recipes For One

Expert Tips

  • Use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same.
  • Measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour to this recipe is the most common mistake. Don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour first to loosen it, and then spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level it off using the flat edge of a knife.
  • Top your bars with sprinkles, seasonal toppings like candy corn, or roasted pumpkin seeds to make them more festive.
  • Make pumpkin bars with chocolate chips by adding a handful of chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Also, consider adding raisins or walnuts to the batter.
  • Check to make sure your oven is at the proper temperature. It’s common for an oven to not be calibrated properly. Many ovens heat too high or too low compared to what the temperature is set at. I recommend investing in an oven thermometer to test your own oven temperature.
a small square pumpkin cake in a white baking dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Should I Store Pumpkin Bars?

Frosted pumpkin bars should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How Long Will Pumpkin Puree Last?

Pumpkin puree freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container or portioned into small ziplock bags in the amount you might use in another recipe. It will keep well in the freezer for 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Consider stirring pumpkin puree into oatmeal or yogurt or adding it to a smoothie. Also, see below for ways to use up canned pumpkin and other ingredients found in this recipe.

Are Pumpkin Bars And Pumpkin Cake The Same?

Pumpkin bars are similar to pumpkin cake and share the same flavor profiles.

What Size Baking Dish Should I Use?

For this small batch pumpkin bars recipe, we use a 4x6-inch baking dish that has a base area of 24 square inches.

Other alternative baking dishes:
5x5-inch dish
6x6-inch dish (this will yield a thinner cake)
6-inch round dish

These baking dishes can be viewed on our Store page.

If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

Variations

  • Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars: Use gluten-free flour. I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure For Measure Flour.
  • Pumpkin Pecan Bars: Add ¼ cup of chopped pecans to the batter.
  • Pumpkin Bars with Caramel: Drizzle caramel over the top of the bars instead of using cream cheese frosting.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this pumpkin bars recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes.

  • Eggs: Breakfast Bagel, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Cup, Cheesy Baked Eggs, Pasta Carbonara, Eggs Benedict, Flan
  • Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spice Granola, Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
  • Ground cinnamon: Apple Cinnamon Scones, Snickerdoodles, Donut Holes, Apple Cider Donuts, Fried Apples, Rice Pudding
  • Cream cheese: Mini Hummingbird Cake, Hot Spinach Dip, Smoked Salmon Platter, Icebox Cake, Peanut Butter Pie, Carrot Cake
  • Powdered sugar: Two Chocolate Cupcakes, Mini Texas Sheet Cake, Coffee Cake, Carrot Souffle, Frosted Sugar Cookies, Mini Red Velvet Cake
  • Vanilla: Mini Boston Cream Pie, Vanilla Pudding, Apple Crisp, Mini Pound Cake, Mini French Silk Pie

If you’ve tried these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!

RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes

Recipe

a small square pumpkin bar topped with cream cheese frosting and yellow sprinkles on a yellow plate

Small Batch Pumpkin Bars

This is a wonderful small batch pumpkin bars recipe. Tender pumpkin cake topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting and sliced into squares. No need to make a big batch, this small batch pumpkin bar recipe gives you the perfect amount to satisfy a sweet craving.
4.94 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cool: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 4 large squares
Calories: 424kcal
Author: Joanie Zisk

Equipment

  • 5-inch baking dish or a 4x6-inch baking dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Electric hand mixer

Ingredients

For The Pumpkin Bars

  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 ounces canned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter , softened
  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
  • Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the egg, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until well combined.
  • Pour the batter into a greased 5x5-inch baking dish (or use 4x6-inch baking dish).
  • Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a baking rack to cool completely.

Make The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Combine the cream cheese and butter in a small mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
  • Add the sugar and the vanilla and mix until combined and smooth. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same.
  • Measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour to this recipe is the most common mistake. Don’t scoop the flour with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour first to loosen it, and then spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level it off using the flat edge of a knife.
  • Top your bars with sprinkles, seasonal toppings like candy corn, or roasted pumpkin seeds to make them more festive.
  • Make pumpkin bars with chocolate chips by adding a handful of chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Also, consider adding raisins or walnuts to the batter.
  • Check to make sure your oven is at the proper temperature. It’s common for an oven to not be calibrated properly. Many ovens heat too high or too low compared to what the temperature is set at. I recommend investing in an oven thermometer to test your own oven temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Small Batch Pumpkin Bars
Amount Per Serving (1 square)
Calories 424 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 376mg16%
Potassium 99mg3%
Carbohydrates 48g16%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 34g38%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 3742IU75%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 60mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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About Joanie Zisk

Joanie Zisk is the creator of OneDishKitchen.com, the number one go-to site for single serving recipes. The aim of One Dish Kitchen is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul. Her website is filled with hundreds of easy, flavorful recipes that are tailored for those cooking for one. Joanie is the author of "The Ultimate Cooking For One Cookbook" and her recipes and food photography have been featured in various publications including, TODAY.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Self.com,Women’s Day, Buzzfeed, and others. Come say hello and follow Joanie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sharon says

    November 24, 2022 at 7:53 pm

    You made my Thanksgiving better for me. Love your recipes.

    Reply
  2. J.Hegyi says

    September 19, 2022 at 10:10 pm

    Great recipe.

    Reply
  3. Dena says

    January 07, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    Made these bars last night and they are wonderful!! Thanks so much!

    Reply
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