Description
Creamy paula deen pumpkin bars combine autumn’s warmest spices with rich cream cheese frosting. Sweet layers of seasonal comfort deliver classic southern dessert magic you’ll savor down to the last delicious crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 eggs
- 1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (15 oz/425 g) can pumpkin
- 2 cups (240 g) sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 (8 oz/225 g) package softened cream cheese
- ½ cup (115 g) softened butter
- 2 cups (240 g) sifted confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), creating an ideal baking environment for the pumpkin bars.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree in an electric mixer, whipping until the mixture becomes light and thoroughly blended.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl, ensuring complete and even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Batter Creation: Fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture, mixing gently to create a smooth, consistent batter without overmixing to maintain a delicate texture.
- Pan Preparation: Spread the batter evenly into a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, ensuring uniform coverage for consistent baking.
- Baking Process: Bake for 30 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean and free from raw batter.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Allow bars to cool completely in the pan while simultaneously preparing the cream cheese frosting by blending cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Finishing Touch: Once cooled, generously spread the cream cheese frosting across the entire surface of the pumpkin bars, creating an even layer with a spatula.
- Serving: Allow frosting to set briefly, then slice into precise square portions using a sharp knife for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Oven Precision: Preheat exactly at 350°F for consistent, golden-brown bars with perfect texture.
- Mixing Mastery: Blend wet ingredients until ultra-smooth and light to ensure a tender, moist dessert.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients to prevent tough, dense bars that lose their delicate crumb.
- Frosting Finesse: Let bars cool completely before spreading cream cheese topping for clean, professional-looking results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg