If you are looking for a simple, easy-to-make pumpkin dessert that everyone will love, I recommend you try these pumpkin bars. They are dangerously delicious! They have a soft, flavorful cake with a cream cheese frosting on top—what’s not to love? Find even more tasty recipes in our Desserts Archive.

We make a lot of pumpkin desserts at my house, especially this time of year. But these pumpkin bars are a great option to make for a party or take to a potluck dinner. They are simple and foolproof, but still a showstopping dessert that everyone will love.

Related: Love easy pumpkin treats? Next up, try easy pumpkin cookies with glaze, pumpkin muffins, or chocolate chip pumpkin cookies.

Ingredients

Pumpkin
Granulated white sugar
Brown sugar
Vegetable or canola oil
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Pumpkin pie spice
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Butter
Cream cheese
Powdered sugar – also called confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, granulated white sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Then stir in the eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no dry flour is still visible.

Butter or spray (with nonstick cooking spray) a 9×13 baking pan. Then spoon the batter in an even layer.

Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean (no gooey batter on the toothpick). Allow the cake to fully cool before adding frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the softened butter and softened cream cheese. Then incorporate the vanilla extract and powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar). Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

Tips & Substitutions

I prefer to crack my eggs into a small bowl before adding the mix. I do this in case I have any small shell pieces, then I can easily scoop them out with a larger egg shell piece.
If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice and don’t want to make it, then for this recipe I would recommend substituting it with 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger.
Do let the cake fully cool before adding frosting, otherwise the heat from the cake can melt the butter and cream cheese in the frosting and make it runny.
Sifting the powdered sugar before adding to the frosting will create less lumps in the frosting.
If you do have lumps in your frosting, add few sprinkles of candy corn—no one will notice now!
To store leftovers, you can cover this cake and refrigerate for at least 5 days. Note the frosting may firm up more during refrigeration.