Vegan Pumpkin Bars
Soft, warmly spiced vegan pumpkin bars topped with a thick, creamy vegan cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon. They're made in one 9x13 pan with no eggs or dairy, and they're easy enough for any fall weekend.
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Servings: bars
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
For the pumpkin bars
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar light, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup neutral oil such as avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the creamy vegan frosting
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese softened (Miyoko's Creamery works best)
- ½ cup vegan butter softened (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks work best)
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- salt a pinch
For garnish
- ground cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the long sides to lift the bars out later.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, nondairy milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
- Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing; a few small lumps are fine.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 28 to 34 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely. Let the bars cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then use the parchment to lift them out onto a wire rack. Let them cool completely, about 1 hour, before frosting.
- Make the frosting. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter until creamy. Add the vegan cream cheese and beat just until smooth. Add the powdered sugar gradually, then the vanilla and a pinch of salt, and beat until creamy and spreadable. If the frosting seems too soft, beat in another ¼ to ½ cup powdered sugar or refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Frost the bars. Spread the frosting generously over the cooled pumpkin bars. A few swirls from the back of a spoon or an offset spatula give them a pretty, homemade finish.
- Garnish and slice. Lightly dust the top with ground cinnamon. Cut into 12 large bars (3 rows by 4 rows). For the cleanest cuts, chill the frosted slab for 20 to 30 minutes first and wipe the knife between cuts.
Notes
Smaller pieces: Cut the slab 4 rows by 6 rows for 24 bite-sized bars.
Best brands: Miyoko's Creamery vegan cream cheese and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks give the thickest, most reliable frosting. Tub-style spreads are softer and make a looser frosting.
Cashew frosting option: Soak 1 ½ cups raw cashews in hot water for 30 minutes (or cold water for 4 hours), then drain. Blend with ⅓ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup melted refined coconut oil, 3 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until completely smooth, scraping down the blender as needed. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until thick enough to spread, then frost the cooled bars.
Storage: Keep frosted bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted bars can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)
Calories: 486kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 379mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 3gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 5873IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
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