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Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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These brown butter pumpkin bars are tender, moist, and perfectly spiced, topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting. They come together in about an hour with simple pantry ingredients, making them the perfect fall dessert for any occasion.

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter, ½ cup (1 stick)
  • All-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups (180g)
  • Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
  • Baking soda, ½ teaspoon
  • Salt, ½ teaspoon
  • Ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons
  • Ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon
  • Ground ginger, ½ teaspoon
  • Ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon
  • Pumpkin puree, 1 cup (about 240g)
  • Granulated sugar, ¾ cup (150g)
  • Light brown sugar, ½ cup (100g), packed
  • Large eggs, 2, room temperature
  • Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
  • Vegetable oil, ¼ cup (60ml)
  • Cream cheese, 8 oz (226g), softened
  • Unsalted butter, ¼ cup (½ stick), softened
  • Powdered sugar, 2 cups (240g)
  • Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
  • Milk or heavy cream, 1-2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter. Place the ½ cup of unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter melts, foams, and the milk solids turn golden brown. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and cooled brown butter until combined.
  5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined—do not overmix.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely.
  7. While bars cool, make frosting: Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low then medium. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk or cream; beat until fluffy. Adjust consistency with more milk or sugar if needed.
  8. Once bars are completely cool, spread frosting evenly over top. Chill for 20 minutes before slicing for clean edges.

Notes

Don’t rush the brown butter—use medium heat and watch carefully. Room temperature ingredients blend better. Let bars cool completely before frosting to avoid a melty mess. For clean slices, chill frosted bars for 20 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bars, brown butter, cream cheese frosting, fall dessert, pumpkin dessert, easy pumpkin bars

Find it online: https://lenatable.com/brown-butter-pumpkin-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/