Pumpkin Bars

March 23, 2024

My mom has the absolute best recipe for Pumpkin Bars! As I was preparing to make and post this recipe, I did a little Pinterest research and looked at other Pumpkin Bar recipes. I found this one recipe that had a ton of 5 star reviews. To my surprise, it was the EXACT same recipe as my mom’s. The girl who posted it, said it was her mom’s recipe. I knew both of our moms could not have created the exact same recipe. So I contacted my mom. She said that she got the recipe out of a Better Homes and Garden magazine years ago. She sent me a pic of the recipe that she saved from the magazine from 1997. I love learning the origins and stories behind recipes! Come to find out, this has been a “secret” family recipe for many families over the years. A big thanks to Paul Rainbow for creating this original recipe and sharing it with the world so that we can enjoy it for generations and generations! I have made a few updates and changes to the original recipe and it is so incredibly scrumptious! It’s a family FALL favorite that I make every year.

INGREDIENTS

15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, melted halfway
1 teaspoon vanilla
about 4 cups powdered sugar
about 1/4 cup milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until just combined and lumps are whisked out.
Pour into an un-greased jellyroll baking sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes. Be careful not to over bake.
Cool completely.
In the meantime, make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, partially melted butter, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Beat together with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup milk.
Beat until smooth. Continue to add powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. About 4 cups total. You want it to be smooth but not too runny or too stiff. (If your frosting gets too stiff, add in a little extra milk. If your frosting gets too runny, add in a little extra powdered sugar.)
Spread frosting over cooled bars and serve.

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This bread is so delectably moist and delicious. Whenever plums are in season, you better bet you’ll find me making this recipe. Plums are in season from summer through early fall, so right now is the perfect time to make this bread!

When choosing a plum, hold it in the palm of your hand, it should feel heavy. Make sure to choose ones that aren’t too squishy and overripe. A ripe plum should be firm but have some give when you lightly squeeze it.