I got this recipe eighteen years ago. A friend made it and it was so delicious. She made it moister than the recipe calls for, by baking is a shorter time. It was so moist that it nearly tasted like pumpkin pie and yet wasn’t.
When I made these last year I took the step by step pictures but forgot to take a picture of the finished bars. Then this Thanksgiving, I forgot to take the final pictures AGAIN!
Well! Mike was just getting him a piece of dessert, so I asked him to take a picture. (Of course what you don’t know is that he had just made me a cup of tea . . . literally, just made it. ) But being the wonderful loving man he is, he took it for me. Now, because he was so nice to do this, I cannot possibly complain about the pictures he took. (I’ll just get up and take another one.
)
Here’s the best of the five shots he took.
I did crop the picture though.
So, anyway, here are the directions.
Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together dry ingredients and then combine the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.
Spread batter into UNgreased 15x10x1 pan.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake @ 350º for 15-30 minutes.
I know that is a long bake time range. The original recipe said 25-30 minutes. I usually check baked goods 5 minutes early; these bars are usually done in about 20 minutes. My family and I like our bars MOIST, so I take them out when there are a few crumbs on the toothpick I use to check for doneness. If the center sinks as it cools, you are going to have some good and moist bars.
Allow it to cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
I have no pictures of the frosting in progress. Oh well! Please use your imagination.
Cream together softened butter and softened cream cheese. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Combine thoroughly and spread evenly on cooled bars.
Sadly, I overcooked these slightly . . . the ones I did for Thanksgiving were much better, moister. Mmm Mmmm!
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 1 (15-16 ounce) can PUMPKIN
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Beat together eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin.
- Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Spread batter in UNgreased 15x10x1 pan.
- Bake at 350º for 15-30 minutes
- Cool completely.
- Frosting:
- Cream butter and cream cheese.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, blending well until mixture is smooth.
- Spread evenly on cooled pumpkin bars.