Here is Halloween treat #3. (I saved the best for last in my opinion.) This is Paula Deen’s recipe. I find her adorable, but most of her recipes scare me. (Buttered this, fried that…) But since this is dessert, I wasn’t going for healthy. These classic pumpkin bars turned out fluffy and moist with a thin yet rich layer of cream cheese frosting. Two of my favorite ingredients in perfect form. Just not husband friendly. (Anytime I bake with pumpkin I have to make an alternate dessert for Dustin. He won’t go near it.) Yeah, he’s missing out.
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
3. Spread the batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
4. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.
Makes a 9×13 pan of bars.
(Adapted from Food Network)
I made these yesterday, sooooo good!! The texture is kind of a cross between a cake and a pie, kind of velvety. Again amazing!!
Yes we will! At thanksgiving I should also try some pumpkin pie to see if I like it cause I say I don’t, but its been a long time since I’ve had any. I did what you said and cut the pumpkin bar recipe in half. They’re in the oven right now and smell delicious!
Katelyn- I’m so glad you appreciate pumpkin like me! We’ll have to make something pumpkin-y and delicious when you’re home for Thanksgiving! I’m proud of you for roasting your own pumpkin too! You’ll love these…they’re so good.
Those look so good!! And that plate looks familiar 🙂 So I just cooked my own whole pumpkin a few days ago. It actually worked! So now I’ve been experimenting with pumpkin recipes so these will be perfect to try!! Thanks!