Whether you enjoy these Pumpkin Bars for dessert, or for breakfast, you can’t go wrong. The bars themselves are soft, moist and packed with tons of fall flavor, while the orange glaze adds a refreshing bite. If you love pumpkin desserts, you’ve got to try these bars out, because they may be even better than pumpkin pie. They can be made ahead of time, and even stored in the freezer for later. Serve them for breakfast or dessert on Thanksgiving day and everyone will love them.
I don’t share a lot of dessert recipes, so you know that these Pumpkin Bars with Orange Glaze have to be good. They’re inspired by a soft pumpkin cookie that I used to make all the time, and I think I like them even better as bars. They’re packed with warm flavors and will go perfectly on your Thanksgiving dessert table this year. Enjoy for breakfast with a cup of coffee, or for dessert alongside some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Why You’ll Love These Festive Pumpkin Bars
- Packed with flavor – These bars have such great pumpkin flavor. They have one can of pumpkin puree and lots of warm spices. I like to use cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ground ginger to give this dessert a very festive flavor.
- Can be made ahead of time – When it comes to the holidays, any recipe that can be made ahead of time is a winner. These pumpkin bars can be made a few days in advance and glazed just before serving.
- Great texture – I love the texture of these pumpkin bars. They’re soft, moist and cakey in texture and the icing on top keeps them from ever drying out.
Pumpkin Health Benefits
I thoroughly recognize that this pumpkin bar recipe is not “healthy.” So, I won’t try to persuade you that they are, but they do contain a whole can of pure pumpkin puree, and pumpkin has some great health benefits!
Pumpkin is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it a great addition to your diet! Antioxidants help to reduce inflammation inside the body, which, in excess, can lead to various diseases, including cancer. Pumpkin is naturally low in calories so it’s great for weight loss, which can also help promote cardiovascular health. Pumpkin is high in vitamin A, just like carrots, which is important for protecting your eye health.
Pumpkin Bar Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour for these cookies. You could also use whole wheat flour or half regular and half whole wheat. I haven’t tried this cookie recipe using gluten-free flour yet, but I think it would probably work great if you use a high-quality gluten-free/all-purpose blend that contains xantham gum.
- Pumpkin Puree – I used one can of pure pumpkin puree for these cookies, but you can also use homemade pumpkin puree.
- Sugar – These soft pumpkin cookies are sweetened with granulated and brown sugar. Coconut sugar could be used in place. Vanilla extract is also added to help with sweetness.
- Spices– I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to these bars. You can use a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead, if you like.
- Butter – Be sure to use softened, room-temperature butter that will easily mix together with the other ingredients. Regular butter or vegan-butter substitute can be used.
- Egg – This recipe calls for one large egg. I haven’t made the recipe with a vegan egg substitute yet, but I’m guessing it would work well.
- Orange Glaze – The orange glaze is made using just powdered sugar, fresh orange zest and orange juice.
- Baking Soda, Salt
How To Make Pumpkin Bars with Orange Glaze
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 16x11x2 inch rectangle cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides, and the parchment paper, and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt. To a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat with an electric mixer until just combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until combined. Lastly, add in the pumpkin puree and beat again. It may appear a bit curdled, but it will look different once you add in the flour mixture.
- Add all of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use the electric mixer to mix until completely combined, you may have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the batter into the greased cake pan and use a spatula to spread it out into an even layer. The batter is pretty thick, but you should be able to spread it without issues.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until cooked through, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan. Prepare the glaze. To a medium sized bowl, add the powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons orange juice and the orange zest. Use a spoon to mix everything together and add extra orange juice if needed. You can make it as thin or as thick as you like.
- Once pumpkin cake has cooled, you can either keep it in the pan or remove it and place it on a large cutting board. Pour the orange glaze over and spread out to make sure it is covering the entire cake. Allow 10-15 minutes for the glaze to harden up before cutting into the pumpkin bars. Store them in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe gluten-free? No, I used regular, all-purpose white flour for these bars, but they could easily be made gluten-free by using a high-quality GF all-purpose-flour blend that contains xantham gum.
- Are these pumpkin bars vegan? No, I did use a regular egg and butter for this recipe. I haven’t tried these bars using a vegan egg substitute at this time, but I think it would work well. The texture might be a bit different. They can easily be made using vegan butter though.
- Can these bars be frozen? Yes, I suggest freezing them without any icing. Add icing after you have thawed them. Store bars in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
- What is the best way to store these pumpkin bars? To ensure that they last for about five days, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can also be stored at room temperature; depending on the room’s temperature, they might not last quite as long.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Sweet Pumpkin Recipes?
Pumpkin Ginger Turmeric Baked Oatmeal
Cranberry Upside Down Pumpkin Cake
3 Ingredient Pumpkin Flatbread
High Protein Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Bars with Orange Glaze
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Whether you enjoy these Pumpkin Bars for dessert, or for breakfast, you can’t go wrong. The bars themselves are soft, moist and packed with tons of fall flavor, while the orange glaze adds a fresh bite. If you love pumpkin desserts, you’ve got to try these bars out, because they may be even better than pumpkin pie. They can be made ahead of time, and even stored in the freezer for later. Serve them for breakfast or dessert on Thanksgiving day and everyone will love them.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (measured by scooping the measuring cup into the flour and then leveling off)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree, or about 1 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons orange juice
- zest of 1 medium sized orange
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 16x11x2 inch rectangle cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides, and the parchment paper, and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat with an electric mixer until just combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until combined. Lastly, add in the pumpkin puree and beat again. It may appear a bit curdled, but it will look different once you add in the flour mixture.
- Add all of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use the electric mixer to mix until completely combined, you may have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the batter into the greased cake pan and use a spatula to spread it out into an even layer. The batter is pretty thick, but you should be able to spread it without issues.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake until cooked through, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Prepare the glaze. To a medium sized bowl, add the powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons orange juice and the orange zest. Use a spoon to mix everything together and add extra orange juice if needed. You can make it as thin or as thick as you like.
- Once pumpkin cake has cooled, you can either keep it in the pan or remove it and place it on a large cutting board. Pour the orange glaze over and spread out to make sure it is covering the entire cake. Allow 10-15 minutes for the glaze to harden up before cutting into the pumpkin bars. Store them in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
You can use a different size pan, if needed. You may just have to adjust the cooking time.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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