Pumpkin Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh Happy Day!  I got to bust out the pumpkin puree and the house has been smelling like fall ever since!  Pumpkin bars are my very favorite fall treat.  They're great with a glass of milk as a dessert or a cup of coffee in the morning.  

I like to kick mine up a notch by making cinnamon cream cheese frosting...you'll NEVER want cream cheese frosting any other way after trying these.  And the pumpkin bar is really almost like a cake...light, moist and fluffy.  This just melts in your mouth.  MM MM MM!

Adapted from Paula Dean

Bars

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

 Frosting

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar {or to taste}
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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.

Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: 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 & cinnamon and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Here's one more looksie!

Now the real question is...what should I use the remaining pumpkin puree for?  Let me know your favorite pumpkin recipe!

Hope you enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

xo natasha

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