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Pumpkin Bars With Cake Mix

Pumpkin bars with cake mix bake up moist, spiced rectangles with a smooth cream cheese frosting swirl. This easy sheet-pan method uses pumpkin puree for a tender crumb that slices cleanly after chilling.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin bars
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) spice cake mix
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.3333333333 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin bars
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan.
  2. Combine the spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, and pumpkin pie spice, stirring until smooth.
  3. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool completely.
Frost and chill
  1. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy, then spread over the cooled bars.
  2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, let the bars cool fully on a rack before frosting, then chill 30 minutes to set the topping. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended for best texture, but you can freeze unfrosted bars. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and swap to part-skim milk in the frosting.