Bring the warm, comforting flavors of autumn to your table with these delicious Cream Cheese-Frosted Pumpkin Bars. This recipe is a true crowd-pleaser, combining a soft, spiced pumpkin cake base with a luscious, velvety layer of homemade cream cheese frosting. By using Bisquick™ as a clever baking shortcut, these bars come together quickly and bake up with an incredibly tender, moist texture. Packed with real pumpkin and sweet raisins, they are the perfect treat for Thanksgiving gatherings, autumn potlucks, or cozy weekend baking. Cut into shareable squares, they are guaranteed to be the star of any fall dessert spread!
Here’s a look at the ingredients you’ll need to make these delicious Cream Cheese-Frosted Pumpkin Bars.
Bisquick™ Original Pancake & Baking Mix: This versatile mix serves as the perfect shortcut, providing the ideal structure for a soft, moist, cake-like bar without measuring flour or baking powder.
Canned Pumpkin: Make sure to use 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) to get that authentic, rich pumpkin flavor and beautiful orange color.
Cream Cheese & Butter: Softened to room temperature, these form the rich, tangy, and velvety base of your homemade frosting.
Raisins: These sweet, chewy gems are folded into the batter, adding a delightful burst of texture and natural sweetness to every bite.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Granulated sugar, vegetable oil, ground cinnamon, baking soda, eggs, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Here are our favorite tips for making the best Cream Cheese-Frosted Pumpkin Bars. Follow the recipe for all the specifics.
In a large bowl, beat the Bisquick™ mix, sugar, oil, cinnamon, baking soda, eggs, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the raisins.
Pour the batter into your greased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until you have a creamy, spreadable frosting.
Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Cut into 48 individual serving squares.
Use these great tips for storing baked Cream Cheese-Frosted Pumpkin Bars.
Because these bars feature a rich cream cheese frosting, they should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours for food safety.
Store the bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Place bars in an airtight freezer food-storage container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw bars in the refrigerator overnight. We do not recommend reheating in the microwave, as the cream cheese frosting will melt.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat all bar ingredients except raisins with an electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in raisins. Pour into pan.
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed until smooth. Spread over bars. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
If you want a deeper, more complex spice flavor, you can use two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the ground cinnamon in this recipe.
To make these bars extra festive, top each square with a piece of Halloween candy. Or, lightly press a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter into the center of each cut bar and use a cotton swab to dust ground cinnamon inside the cutter, creating a beautiful leaf design.
If you are short on time, make this recipe even easier by using a tub of Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting instead of making the scratch frosting.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 9% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 25mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 110mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 19g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g | 0% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 15g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Potassium | 45mg | 1% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 30% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 6% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
