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Best Kid-Approved Pumpkin Bars with Easy Brown Butter Frosting

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Soft, spiced pumpkin bars topped with a nutty brown butter frosting. An easy, crowd-pleasing fall dessert that comes together in about 45 minutes with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh, not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (for frosting)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk (whole or 2%, for frosting)
  • Pinch of salt (optional, for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on sides. Lightly grease parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap pan gently on counter to release air bubbles.
  6. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil for last 5 minutes.
  7. Let bars cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
  8. While bars cool, make brown butter frosting: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Swirl pan occasionally. Cook until butter turns deep golden brown and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl.
  9. Let brown butter cool for about 10 minutes. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Beat with electric mixer on low until combined. Add 2 tablespoons milk and beat on medium until smooth and creamy. Add remaining milk if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin.
  10. Spread frosting over completely cooled bars. Slice into squares and serve.

Notes

Don’t skip the brown butter step—it makes the frosting special. Use room temperature eggs for best texture. Measure flour by spooning and leveling. Let bars cool completely before frosting to prevent melting. For clean slices, chill frosted bars for 30 minutes before cutting. Bars taste even better the next day. Unfrosted bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bars, brown butter frosting, fall dessert, kid-friendly, easy pumpkin recipe, pumpkin dessert, sheet cake

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