BAKE: Pumpkin Bars with Candied Ginger & Cream Cheese Frosting

• Ginger Pumpkin Bar Ingredients
• Kitchen Equipment Needed
• How to Make Ginger Pumpkin Bars
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• Pumpkin Bars with Candied Ginger & Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is for the real ginger-lovers… a soft and tender spiced pumpkin sheet cake bar, studded with chunks of candied ginger. These ginger pumpkin bars have a tangy cream cheese frosting that cuts through the sweetness and spice, and are garnished with a bit more finely chopped ginger candy.

You can also swap out the candied ginger for dried cranberries, toasted nuts, or even white or dark chocolate chips to vary the flavor profile of this pumpkin bar recipe. Try cinnamon-flavored baking chips to lean into a pumpkin-spice vibe… but this version with chunks of candied ginger is my favorite.

This recipe makes a large batch baked in a half-sheet pan or two quarter-sheets, perfect for parties, school or church bake sales, potlucks, or for homemade holiday gifts. Or, if you’re cooking for one or two, you can scale the portions in half and bake it in a smaller pan. You can also portion and freeze these iced pumpkin bars to have a sweet treat whenever you want it!

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Ginger Pumpkin Bar Ingredients

Pumpkin:

This recipe uses one 15 oz can of pumpkin puree. If you cut the recipe in half to make a smaller batch, you can use the other half for another recipe (like our pumpkin mac & cheese or cheesy pumpkin muffins) or freeze it for later use.

Sugar:

These pumpkin bars use both granulated white sugar and brown sugar. You can substitute raw or turbinado sugar for the white sugar if you prefer… I’ve baked this recipe both ways and it’s delicious either way.

Either light or dark brown sugar will work here. Light brown sugar lets more of the ginger and spice flavors shine, while dark brown will add a caramel base note to the flavors. Use what you prefer or have on hand!

Butter:

Use salted softened butter here. You can use unsalted butter to reduce the sodium if you need to, though the salt helps balance the sweetness of these frosted pumpkin bars.

Eggs:

Use large, whole, fresh eggs. Crack them into a small bowl and add them to the creamed butter and sugar one at a time.

Milk:

I have tested this recipe with whole milk, though you could substitute 2%. I have not tested it with soy, rice, or oatmilk… if you try it, let us know how it goes in the comments!

Flour:

Use all-purpose flour in these pumpkin bars for the softest results. Cake flour doesn’t have enough structure here. You can substitute whole wheat flour for all or a portion of the white flour, though I wouldn’t recommend swapping more than half.

Candied ginger:

These ginger pumpkin bars have a generous amount of candied ginger, both mixed into the cake batter, and a bit on top of the cream cheese frosting for garnish. You’ll want to chop the ginger into small pieces for the batter, and mince the rest very fine for garnish.

• You can reduce or even omit the chunks of ginger for regular spiced pumpkin bars if you are not a fan, or can’t get this ingredient.
• For another flavor variation, you can substitute dried cranberries, chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, or baking chips for the ginger.

Spices & leavening:

These bars are spiced with cinnamon, dried ginger, and a hint of clove, allspice, and nutmeg. You could substitute pumpkin pie spice or even apple pie spice blend for some of the cinnamon, clove, and allspice for simplicity (or if you don’t have those spices in your cupboard).

These bars use both baking soda and baking powder for leavening. Make sure to sift out any lumps and level out your measuring spoons!

Kitchen Equipment Needed

stand mixer or large mixing bowl:

While you can mix these pumpkin bars by hand, if you have a stand mixer, they’re even easier to make! If you’ve got it, use it, otherwise you can use a large mixing bowl and a dough whisk or wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar, then mix the batter.

sheet pan:

I do most of my baking on plain, uncoated half sheet pans. You can bake a full batch of these pumpkin bars in one half sheet, or two quarter sheet pans. You could use two 9″x13″ pans in a pinch if you don’t have sheet pans with a lip.

silicone baking liner or parchment paper:

Using a silicone baking sheet liner or parchment is a game-changer for easy cleanup when you’re baking, without using pans with non-stick coatings that can flake or leach nasty stuff that you don’t want in your food.

How to Make Ginger Pumpkin Bars

one: dry ingredients

• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, dried spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Use a wire sieve or sifter to mix, or whisk well. Sift the baking powder and soda to make sure there are no lumps.
• Prepare your baking sheets, lining with silicone non-stick baking liners or parchment paper sheets.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉.

two: chop ginger

• Chop the chunks of candied ginger into smaller pieces with a sharp knife or food processor.
• Divide and set aside 3/4 cup, and then chop the remaining garnish portion even more finely.
• If you aren’t using ginger, chop the nuts or dried cranberries.

three: cream butter and sugar

• Cream the butter and add the white and brown sugar.
• Beat in a stand mixer or by hand until the mixture is uniform, light, and fluffy.
• Add 3/4 cup of the candied ginger to the creamed butter and sugar mixture (reserving the finer ginger to garnish the frosted bars).
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping down the bowl.

four: mix wet ingredients

• Add the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla to the creamed butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing gently on low speed and stopping to scrape down the bowl and beaters between additions.

five: add dry ingredients

• Continue to mix until the batter is just uniformly combined and no clumps of dry ingredients remain.

six & seven: fill pans

• Spread the mixed pumpkin bar batter into the prepared pan or pans.
• Use a rubber spatula or curved bowl scraper to scoop the batter and level off the pans.

eight: bake & cool

• Place into the preheated 350℉ oven.
• Bake for 35-50 minutes, or until the center of the bars is set and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Adjust baking time for your oven and for your pans- a single half sheet will take longer to bake than two quarter-sheets.
• Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool.

nine: make the cream cheese frosting

• Beat the softened butter with the salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or use a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or sturdy spoon.
• Add in the softened cream cheese, and mix again until incorporated.
• Mix in the vanilla or bourbon, the powdered sugar (sifted to remove lumps), and enough milk or heavy cream to thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency.

ten: frost the pumpkin bars

• Let the pumpkin bars cool completely before frosting them with a wide spatula.
• You may want to apply a thin crumb coat of frosting and chill the bars before adding the rest of the frosting.
• Otherwise, drop the frosting in dollops evenly over the surface, then spread them carefully to cover the bars with the frosting.

eleven: top with garnish

• Sprinkle the bars with the reserved finely minced candied ginger.
• You can also use chopped nuts or sprinkles to garnish your pumpkin bars, or leave them plain.

twelve: cut into slices

• Using a long, thin cake spatula, cut the pumpkin bars into slices. Don’t use a knife if you lined your pans, or you will cut through your baking liner.
• Wipe or wash the spatula between cuts to get a cleaner slice.

Storage & Serving Ideas

Refrigerate any leftover frosted pumpkin bars in a covered container for up to five days. Un-frosted pumpkin bars can sit out for up to three days. You can also freeze this cake for 3-4 months.

Let the iced pumpkin bars thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, or let sliced pieces thaw on the counter for an hour or two.