The Dish | Spiced Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

If someone asks you to bring a dessert this fall – here it is! These bars are a great alternative to a cake.  They are a delicious dish to serve on your Halloween or Thanksgiving dessert buffet. 

BARS

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15 ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

ICING

• 8 ounce container of whipped cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• nutmeg for dusting

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13×10 baking pan.  
• Using electric mixer on medium speed, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. 
• In another bowl whisk all dry ingredients together. 
• Add dry ingredients to to pumpkin  mixture on low speed until combined and batter is smooth. 
• Spread batter evenly into greased pan and bake 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

To make the icing:

• Combine the cream cheese and the butter in a medium bowl and with an electric mixer mix until smooth. 
• Add the sugar and mix on low speed until well combined, stir in vanilla and mix again. 
• Spread on cooled pumpkin bars and dust with nutmeg.  Cut into bars and serve.