Nerina’s Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
If it’s fall, you’ve got to whip up some recipes using pumpkin. From pies and cookies to soups and stews, pumpkin is a stable ingredient in my autumn cooking.
My daughter, Nerina, loves pumpkin pie so much that her grandmother called her “Pumpkin.” In fact, Nerina could eat pumpkin all year long! For this reason, I created these delicious pumpkin bars. These moist treats are ladened with a rich cream cheese frosting giving pumpkin pie a run for its money.
And there’s more where that came from...
This recipe is featured in my cookbook, A Gift of Cookies. With over 200 cookie recipes (including an entire chapter just on macarons!) my cookie cookbook makes the perfect holiday gift. Or if you love cookies as much as I do, buy one for yourself and get a jump start on your holiday baking!
Nerina’s Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can solid pumpkin
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chopped unsalted pecans
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, add dry ingredients to the pumpkin and egg mixture. Mix until batter is smooth. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 13-by 10-inch baking sheet pan with 2-inch sides. Spread batter into pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add sifted confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Reduce speed to medium-low and mix until combined. Spread icing using an offset spatula then cut into bars.