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–+ servings
two plated slices of ginger pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, topped with chopped pieces of candied ginger. They're on small dessert plates resting on an orange and cream fleur de lis print tablecloth, with a vintage ceramic crock in the background. alewyfe.com watermark.

Pumpkin Bars with Candied Ginger & Cream Cheese Frosting

Alewyfe
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.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch, Dessert, Small Bites & Snacks
Cuisine American, Contemporary, Southern, Vegetarian
YIELD 48 servings
Calories 192 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 half-sheet pans
  • 1 parchment paper or silicone baking mats
  • 1 stand mixer or large mixing bowl & handheld mixer
  • 1 thin metal cake spatula

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Bars

dry ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • ¾ tsp grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt

cream together

  • 12 tbsp butter 6 oz
  • 2 cups granulated white sugar substitute raw or turbinado sugar
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar light or dark brown

add next

  • 1 cup chopped candied ginger divided ¾ & ¼. adjust quantity to taste, or see notes for variations.
  • 4 large eggs

liquid ingredients

  • 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • ⅔ cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 tbsp salted butter (4 oz) softened & room temperature
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened & room temperature
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted if lumpy
  • 3-4 tbsp whole milk or cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract or bourbon

Instructions
 

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℉.

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.

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.

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.

add dry ingredients

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

fill baking 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Notes

Recipe Variations:
  • 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.
 
Note on Nutritional Information:
Values shown are calculated using candied ginger (not the variations), and are only an estimate for informational purposes.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 54mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 1618IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baking, bar cookie, brunch, coffee cake, comfort food, cookie plate, creamy, fall, fall foods, halloween, holiday, party food, rich, samhain, sheet cake, snack, sweet treats, tea party, Thanksgiving, winter, Yule
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