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–+ servings
a moist pumpkin bar topped with cream cheese frosting on a yellow plate.
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4.95 from 19 votes

Small Batch Pumpkin Bars

These small batch pumpkin bars are soft, moist, and flavored with warm fall spices. Baked in a small dish and topped with rich cream cheese frosting, they’re the perfect dessert for one or two people.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cool15 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: cream cheese frosting, pumpkin, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin cake, pumpkin spice bars, small batch pumpkin bars
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Joanie Zisk

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Bars

  • 1 large egg
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil or use canola oil or avocado 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 Frosting

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

Instructions

Make the Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
  • In a medium bowl, beat the egg, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into a lightly buttered 5x5-inch baking dish.
  • Bake for 25–28 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.

Make the Frosting

  • In a small bowl, beat room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix until creamy.
  • Spread over cooled bars, then cut into squares.

Notes

  • Use Pumpkin Purée: Always use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices.
  • Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off. Too much flour can make the bars dry.
  • Get Creative with Toppings: Try candy corn, roasted pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, raisins, or walnuts for extra flavor and texture.
  • Check Oven Temperature: Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate for even baking.
 
To double this recipe, double the ingredient amounts and use either two 5x5-inch baking dishes or use one 6.5x6.5-inch baking dish, or one 6x8-inch baking dish. You may need to increase the baking time by 5 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 3742IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

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