Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

Name: Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 dozen.
Ingredients: 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup sugar, divided; 1/2 cup packed brown sugar; 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed; 1 cup old-fashioned oats; 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cubed; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten

I made these for a church function once and they turned out to be a big hit. There was barely a crumb left on the platter after everyone dug in. I love this dessert because it tastes light, smooth, and nutty. —Kim Chambers, Laurelton, New York

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cubed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans. Reserve 1 cup for topping.
Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, spices and remaining sugar until smooth. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over warm crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Serve within 2 hours or refrigerate, covered.

Nutrition Facts

1 bar: 196 calories, 12g fat (6g saturated fat), 52mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

Originally published as Pumpkin Bars in Taste of Home September/October 2013

Reviews

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Fernbend

Nov 24, 2017

Made these exactly to recipe (which is what I always do before posting a review) and they turned out great and were a big hit at Thanksgiving. Loved the unusual spices. They were even better the next day. Thank you Kim!
ErinRobb

Feb 2, 2014

Blah! That is all I have to say.....never making again!
violetcharity

Dec 8, 2013

Made these for a church potluck and they were gone in like 5 minutes. I was asked to share the recipe.I have made traditional pumpkin bars for years for my family and now these are their favorite.
whats2eat

Nov 28, 2013

I didn't have cardamom on hand but made these anyway, was disappointed, not much flavor, half the pan went to waste, maybe cardamom would have made a big difference.
linsvin

Nov 15, 2013

These were very good and I liked the change of using a little cardamom. Cardamom is a very expensive spice but it gives just the right flavor to these wonderful tasting bars.
LindaS_WI

Oct 30, 2013

I've made these bars a couple of times, slightly tweaking the recipe each time, just because I can't help myself. As is it's fantastic, but I've also used mashed sweet potatoes and they're equally delicious. I've also eliminated the spices and used orange zest for a "cleaner" flavor and everyone loved that, too. Lots of options and they all taste great.
KB-GF

Oct 28, 2013

I made these exactly as directed. MH loved them. I personally would prefer more spice and a dollop of whipped cream on top. Will be making for MH for Thanksgiving. I have to say that for 1 can of pumpkin you sure get more dessert than you would for a pie. Great for a crowd!
delowenstein

Oct 27, 2013

I tried this recipe for the first time 10/27/13-I've been wanting to test this recipe out! I DID use about 1-1/4 cups of crumb topping for the bars! NOTE: I used quick oats as I had them on hand and the quick oats worked very well! I also floured the 13x9x2" cake pan! I baked for a total of 30 minutes-I'd baked 20 minutes and the bars didn't test as done! When I baked the bars 10 extra minutes, the bars tested done when I inserted a paring knife into the pumpkin filling and it came out clean! All in all, I think these bars should be really good! I'm going to take them to my volunteer hospital job 10/28/13! Kim Chambers, Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love to bake and Taste of Home has so many recipes to choose from to prepare! Your bars, pictured, looked so delicious! Dawn E. Lowenstein
homemadewithlove

Oct 22, 2013

Very good pumpkin bar! I too like more cinnamon/spice taste but the guests raved about them when made for a fall gathering.
becky66

Oct 20, 2013

This was an easy recipe to make, and I liked the look of the finished bars; I thought the combination of the cheesecake-like filling with the crumb crust was unique. I thought the taste was average, however. I added a dollop of whipped topping to each piece before serving, as I thought the bars looked like they needed something. If I made these again, I would probably cut back a little on the spices; I think I would like them better if there was more of the pumpkin flavor coming through. That's just my personal preference.