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Front view of gluten-free pumpkin bars cut into squares

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 24-36 Servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This easy gluten-free pumpkin bars recipe is laced with warm spices & topped with a light whipped brown sugar cream cheese frosting that’s the perfect finish.


Ingredients

Scale

For The Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted (4 ounces/1 stick)
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1/3 cup (75 grams) sour cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

For The Dry Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (240 grams) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, weighed or scooped & leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves

For The Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese (get the blocks, not a spread), softened almost to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet (half sheet pan) with parchment paper or greasing with nonstick spray or a brush of oil.
  2. Combine Oil, Butter, Sugars & Pumpkin. In a large bowl, combine oil, melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and pumpkin puree. Whisk until smooth and uniform.
  3. Mix In The Sour Cream & Vanilla. Next, add the sour cream and vanilla and stir to combine.
  4. Add Eggs One At A Time. Working just one egg at a time, whisk in each egg completely before adding the next, until all 4 eggs are fully incorporated.
  5. Mix In The Dry Ingredients. Add gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, and cloves to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until just combined (no floury patches should be visible).
  6. Transfer The Batter To The Pan. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the batter out evenly. (You want the batter as even as possible so the cake bakes up evenly.)
  7. Bake & Cool. Place the pumpkin bars in the oven and bake 18-22 minutes, or until the cake looks set, and if you lightly press on the top, no large indents remain. (The bars should spring back slowly when pressed.) Set the pan aside on a cooling rack to cool completely before adding the frosting. Do not add frosting to warm pumpkin bars or the frosting will melt.
  8. Start The Frosting. When the pumpkin bars are cool, mix up the frosting. Place the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sugar is fully dissolved (there shouldn’t be any grit if you rub it between your fingers). Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and beat 1 minute. Add another 1/2 cup cream and beat 1 minute, add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and whip 2-3 minutes, until it’s light, fluffy, and you can see the path of your beaters. (It’ll be like thick whipped cream.)
  9. Frost & Chill The Pumpkin Bars. Spread the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars and chill 30-60 minutes before slicing. Store leftover pumpkin bars in the refrigerator 3-4 days. 
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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