Pumpkin Bars

It’s amazing to me how I can go my whole life thinking I don’t like something only to find out I absolutely love it. Up until last year, two things I thought I didn’t like were pumpkin and cream cheese. Now I keep both of those ingredients on hand all the time and whip up scrumptious recipes with these whenever I can.

Since the weather has finally turned cooler I have started making pumpkin recipes. This Paula Deen pumpkin bar recipe is one that I couldn’t wait to try. Because let’s be honest, that Southern girl can cook! And this pumpkin bar recipe is simple and oh so worth it. They are moist and tasty.

Ingredients:

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

* note: I made 12 cupcakes and these rest of the batter in an 8×8 pan.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Linked at:

Kludgy Mom – I Love Fall Food