Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie Bars

A hand picks up a square pumpkin spice cookie bar topped with a checkerboard pattern of white and caramel-colored frosting.

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Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie Bars

Soft pumpkin spice cookie bars with tangy maple cream cheese frosting and a beautiful two-tone finish. Perfect for fall gatherings!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Baking

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookie Bars

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 27

Cooling Time 1

Servings bars

Calories 312

Author Erren Hart

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cookie Bars

½ cup unsalted butter softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
¾ cup canned pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz full-fat block cream cheese softened
½ cup unsalted butter softened
2 to 2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
Ground cinnamon for finishing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Pumpkin Cookie Bars

Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to lift the bars out once cooled.
Cream the butter and sugars. Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for a good 3 minutes, until noticeably lighter and fluffy. Don't rush this part.
Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix just until combined. Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled after adding the pumpkin—that's normal.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.
Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix on low just until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.
Spread in the pan. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. It will be thicker than cake batter, so spread it evenly into the corners and smooth the top.
Bake. Bake for 22 to 27 minutes. To check them, gently shake the pan. When the center has stopped jiggling, they're ready. If you're unsure, insert a toothpick into the center—it should come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Don't wait for a completely dry toothpick or the bars can overbake.
Cool completely. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the bars cool completely before frosting.

For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth and creamy. Add 2 cups confectioners' sugar, the vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add up to another ½ cup confectioners' sugar only if needed to give the frosting a thick, spreadable consistency. We want this frosting tangy, not overly sweet.
Frost and finish. Lift the cooled bars from the pan and spread the frosting generously over the top. Finish with a light dusting of cinnamon.
Cut and serve. Cut into 16 bars and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Erren's Top Tips

Cream the butter and sugars for 3 full minutes. This helps create an even texture and shouldn't be rushed.
Don't add extra pumpkin. Pumpkin contains a lot of moisture, and adding more can make the bars too cakey.
Measure your flour carefully. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
Don't overmix the dough. Once the flour goes in, mix only until everything comes together.
Use the shake test. The center should be set and no longer jiggle when the bars are ready.
Cool completely before frosting. Warm bars will soften the cream cheese frosting and make the decoration difficult.
Chill soft frosting before piping. The maple syrup and food coloring add a little moisture. Refrigerating the frosting for 15–20 minutes can help it hold its shape.
Add food coloring gradually. Gel colors can be surprisingly concentrated, so start with a tiny amount.
Serve at room temperature. Take the bars out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting becomes creamy and the spices really shine.

Variations

Keep the Frosting Simple

If you're short on time, skip the food coloring and piping bags. Spread the maple cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars with an offset spatula.

You'll get all the same delicious flavors without the extra decorating.

Add Toasted Pecans

For a little crunch, fold ½ cup chopped toasted pecans into the dough before baking.

They work especially well with the brown sugar and warm spices.

Skip the Cardamom

If you don't have cardamom, simply leave it out. The cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves will still give the bars plenty of fall flavor.

Make Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

Leave out the maple syrup if you prefer a traditional cream cheese frosting. The vanilla bean paste will still add plenty of flavor.

Storage & Freezing

Refrigerator: Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Don't leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Serving: Remove the bars from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. This gives the frosting time to soften and lets the warm pumpkin spice flavors come through.

Freezing: For the best appearance, freeze the bars without frosting. Wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before frosting and decorating.

Make Ahead: You can bake the bars a day ahead, let them cool completely, and store them covered. Make the frosting and decorate the following day.

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