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Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Perfect pumpkin bars with an irresistible salted caramel cream cheese frosting – there’s no better fall treat!
Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese FrostingNote: this post has been updated on 9/8/16 with new photos.  These continue to be a fall favorite of ours and loved by everyone that tries them!  

Hmm…notice something a little different around here?  Things seem a little brighter, more cheery?  Yep, that’s right – greens & chocolate got a makeover!   I realize that I changed my design earlier this year when I made the big switch from blogger to WordPress but I just never had a great feeling about it.  It never really felt like home to me.  Now, however, I can say this feels absolutely perfect and I owe a HUGE thank you to Shay Bock.  She was such a delight to work with.  It was as if she could read into my mind, knowing exactly what I wanted my new design to look like.   I really hope you like it too, and find it’s a place you want to keep coming back to 🙂

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

To celebrate the new look, I made you your new favorite pumpkin bars with salted caramel cream cheese frosting.  I just know they will be!  The secret ingredient?  Salted caramel, duh.  Is there anything that’s NOT made better by salted caramel?  I think not.  So yeah, I took a super basic pumpkin bar recipe, made it a wee bit healthier by subbing some applesauce for half of then oil (you can’t tell, I promise!) and then slathered the entire pan with globs and globs of salted caramel cream cheese frosting.

Let’s just say a pan of these around my pumpkin-loving self is quite dangerous.  The frosting is just as delicious as you would think, with a deep caramel flavor with a salty bite to it.  The caramel flavor of the frosting goes perfectly with the cinnamon and nutmeg spiced pumpkin bars which bake up perfectly moist.

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Also – yes, I realize this post is missing some pictures to go along with the bars.  I’m having some camera difficulties right now and am unable to post the pictures that I took, but I figured my new look needed an introduction and you needed a new recipe in your life so I posted anyways.  Hope you forgive me 😉  I also hope this situation is solved soon….

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Looking for more pumpkin bar recipes? Check these out!

Pumpkin Rolo Bars

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Salted Caramel Swirl

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Perfect pumpkin bars with an irresistible salted caramel cream cheese frosting - there's no better fall treat!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, fall, pumpkin
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Cooling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 38 minutes
Servings: 15 bars
Calories: 355kcal
Author: Taylor Ellingson

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt

for the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

To make the pumpkin bars:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce, and pumpkin puree.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing in low until just combined.
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 28-32 minutes, until toothpick comes out of the middle clean.
  • Let cool completely.

To make the frosting:

  • In bowl with electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth.
  • Add caramel and sea salt, mixing until combined.
  • Spread frosting on top of cooled pumpkin bars.
  • Cut into squares and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 524mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 4878IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @greensnchocolate to let me know!
Need more ideas?Find all of my recipe pins @greenschocolate

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

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Recipe Rating




  1. Perfect timing! I just bought the ingredients for pumpkin bars! Now I get to add salted caramel. (: Sounds like a fun new spin on one of my favorite fall desserts! Love your new design too!

  2. Oh, this sounds perfect! I’ve been searching for a pumpkin/caramel bar for the last week, so I’m going to give this one a whirl!
    And the blog looks fab! Love it. 🙂

    1. Hi Zoe! I used 1/2 cup of caramel sauce that you would buy in a jar…I will clarify it in the recipe. Hope you enjoy these as much as I did! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    This is my go to pumpkin bar recipe. I make it several times during the Fall season and every time I get the best compliments ever. It is so moist and it is the perfect flavor.