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Frosted Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars

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30 minutes
9 Comments
4.67 from 3 votes
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These frosted pumpkin sugar cookie bars are a chewy, dense sugar bar with delicious pumpkin flavor topped with cream cheese frosting.
Frosted Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars

As soon as the weather starts to cool down, I am ready to start baking.  These Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars are easy to make using simple ingredients you probably have on hand. There is some cooling time involved as these bars are frosted, so keep that in mind if you are making these for a party or event.

These bars make enough to feed a crowd, which makes them perfect to make for parties during the holiday season.  These are always the first dessert to go when I bring them to potlucks!

Close-up image showing a pile of granulated sugar, two sticks of butter, and a heap of brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
A mixing bowl containing a partially mixed dough with a visible egg and a red spatula. The edge of a hand mixer is seen above the bowl.
A person holds a teaspoon with a dark liquid over a mixing bowl containing batter and pumpkin puree.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese 1 package, softened
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
A bowl with a mixture of white flour and brown cocoa powder.
A close-up of light brown cookie dough being mixed by an electric mixer in a clear bowl. The mixture is thick and part of the mixer attachment is visible.

Equipment Needed

For this bar recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

A baking pan filled with evenly spread pumpkin sugar cookie batter.
A close-up of a large rectangular baking tray filled with evenly spread baked batter, with a light golden-brown crust on the surface.
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.
  3. Mix in vanilla and pumpkin.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
  5. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  6. Spread batter in a baking cookie sheet (18 x 13 x 1 inch) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until bars are light golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
Metal whisk and blocks of butter in a mixing bowl.
A metal whisk attachment covered in freshly whipped cream rests above a stainless steel mixing bowl.
A close-up image of a frosted sheet cake in a metal baking pan.

Frosting Instructions

  1. Cream butter and cream cheese together, then add vanilla, milk and powdered sugar. If you want the frosting to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want it to be thinner, add more milk.
  2. Spread frosting on top of cooled bars, cut into bars and serve.

Storage Suggestions

When the bars are done, cover the pan with its top or slice the bars and store it in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 3-4 days for the best flavor.

Explore More Delicious Pumpkin Brownies and Bars

We absolutely love pumpkin recipes, especially in the fall and winter. Check out our comprehensive collection of pumpkin recipes here.

Two frosted pumpkin bars are stacked on a piece of wax paper, with another bar in the background on a tray. Each bar has a layer of creamy frosting on top of a dense pumpkin base.

Frosted Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes
These frosted pumpkin sugar cookie bars are a chewy, dense sugar bar with delicious pumpkin flavor topped with cream cheese frosting.
Serving48 bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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Ingredients

Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 package, softened
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

Instructions

Cookie Bar Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 ℉.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.
  4. Mix in vanilla and pumpkin.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
  6. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  7. Spread batter into a rimmed baking sheet (18 x 1 x 1 inch) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  8. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until bars are light golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

Frosting Instructions

  1. Cream butter and cream cheese together, then add vanilla, milk and powdered sugar.
  2. If you want the frosting to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want it to be thinner, add more milk.
  3. Spread frosting on top of cooled bars, cut into bars and serve.

Notes

You can serve them warm or cold.  Store in air tight container in fridge or consider freezing them. Cut into single serving sizes before freezing and you can grab one from the freezer when you need to treat yourself.

Nutrition

Calories: 189 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 2 g · Fat: 7 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 32 mg · Sodium: 140 mg · Potassium: 51 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 19 g · Vitamin A: 1019 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 20 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Cuisine: American
Cost: $12
Author: Steph Loaiza
Course: Dessert
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.


Published: September 18, 2018Updated: September 25, 2024

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Questions & Reviews

  1. Tricia Williams says:
    Six cups of flour?? One cup of sugar and one cup of brown sugar? 8 cups of dry ingredients seems like way too much! Is there an error here? Sounds yummy but I am afraid to try until confirmation!
  2. Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says:
    I'm glad these make a huge batch too, because I bet they would disappear quickly!

    5 stars

  3. Camille says:
    Thanks so much, Jen!! I just think the world of you!
  4. Camille says:
    Tricia- I know, it does seem like a lot of dry ingredient, but when you add in the cup of butter and 4 eggs, plus the cup of pumpkin, it all works out and they are amazing. I did change the flour to 5-6 cups - I have made these pumpkin bars 3 times and each time I have used anywhere from 5 1/2 - 6 cups of flour. I would start with 5 and if you feel like your dough is too runny, add a little more. :) I promise that it's worth taking a chance on this recipe!
  5. Ashley says:
    I made these tonight and I think the recipe calls for too much flour. I only used 5 cups and I felt like they tasted too much like flour. Next time I make this I will use less. I love all your recipes and use them on a regular basis but this one wasn't my favorite.

    4 stars

  6. Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says:
    I'm glad this recipe makes a lot. I can already tell I'm going to need lots of extras so I don't eat them all by myself. :)

    5 stars

  7. Kelly says:
    I agree, Ashley. I didn't use the full amount of flour and I still thought they tasted too much of flour. However, I will still take them to my potluck tomorrow because I don't have time to make anything else!
  8. Stephanie says:
    What size pan do you use? I have read and reread this recipe, but no mention of pan size??
  9. Cyd says:
    Hi Stephanie, Thanks for letting us know that the baking sheet measurements were not on the post for Frosted Pumpkin Sugar Cookie Bars. We use a half sheet (standard cookie sheet) that measures on the exterior 18x13x1 inch. We hope this helps.
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