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Pumpkin roll bars have all the things you love about pumpkin rolls without the hassle! They have perfectly spiced pumpkin cake with a smooth cream cheese swirl that will make this your new favorite fall dessert!
Pumpkin season is seriously the best! We all love summer, but when the weather changes, we get to wear our cozy sweaters and eat all of the delicious pumpkin recipes! Try these melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pecan pie bars, and the best pumpkin roll!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive Flavor: The spiced pumpkin cake with a cream cheese layer swirled in is the ultimate fall flavor combination!
- Simple Recipe: You’ll love how quickly and easily this recipe comes together. If you love pumpkin rolls but don’t want all the work, this recipe is for you!
- Family-Friendly: Your whole family will love these pumpkin roll bars. They will love how moist and delicious the cake is mixed with the cream cheese layer!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Pumpkin Roll Bars
Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you—most of them are spices and things you already have in your cupboards! These bars will come together in no time! Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
Pumpkin Batter
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and moisture.
- Granulated Sugar: Provides a sweetness that balances the spices.
- Eggs: These are used to bind the ingredients together.
- Pumpkin Puree: Gives the bars their festive fall orange color and adds moisture and flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle sweet flavor that complements the pumpkin spices.
- Water: Provides moisture so the bars are soft and fluffy.
- All Purpose Flour: Creates the base of the dough and provides the structure.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds warmth and is a cozy spice.
- Ground Cloves: Deepens the flavor with its pungent, sweet spiciness.
- Ground Nutmeg: Adds a nutty sweetness that gives the bars a warm cozy flavor.
- Ground Ginger: Gives the bars a sharp spice that balances the sweetness.
- Baking Soda: Helps the dough rise and makes the bars light and fluffy.
- Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent.
- Salt: Ehances the flavors.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream Cheese: Provides a rich, tangy, smooth texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Complements the tangy cream cheese with its sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a note of sweetness to balance the cream cheese.
- Egg: Help bind the mixture and provide a fluffy texture helping the cream cheese layer to set properly.
Pumpkin Roll Bar Instructions
If you love pumpkin rolls as much as I do but don’t have time to make them, this recipe is for you! Pumpkin spice goodness mixed with a smooth cream cheese layer—it’s divine!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with pan spray. If you’d like, you may line the pan with parchment paper and then spray it with pan spray to make it easier to remove the bars later. Once that’s done, set the pan aside.
- Beat: Use a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and water and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until fully combined.
- Spread Pumpkin Mixture: Spread ⅔ of the pumpkin batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Cream Cheese Filling: Prepare the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg together until smooth. Spread this evenly over the pumpkin batter in the pan. Then, dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the top to finish the layering.
- Swirl and Bake: Use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture and the top layer of pumpkin batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly pressed on. Cool the pumpkin roll bars completely before slicing and serving.
Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Roll Bars
Follow my tips below to get the best results! These bars really aren’t hard, but I’m here for you every step of the way!
- Pumpkin Pureé: Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree! The cans of pumpkin pie filling look very similar, but they won’t work for this recipe.
- Room Temperature: Use room temperature ingredients, especially for the cream cheese filling. This will help everything blend well and not leave chunks in your cake or cream cheese. I like to set the cream cheese on the counter a couple of hours before I plan to bake, but you can also unwrap it and heat it in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 seconds or so.
- Evenly Incorporate: Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you make the pumpkin batter and cream cheese filling, and then mix again. This will make sure nothing gets stuck to the sides and isn’t evenly incorporated.
- Love Pumpkin Spice Flavor? If you like stronger pumpkin spice flavor, I recommend doubling all the spices in the cake!
- DON’T Overswirl: Don’t over-swirl the batters together. You only need to make a few passes through with the butter knife to get a good swirl of cream cheese and pumpkin. Be careful not to drop the knife too far into the batter! You only want to swirl the top two layers.
Storing Leftover Pumpkin Roll Bars
- Countertop or Fridge: Once the bars have finished baking, store any leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. If you’d like to extend their freshness, you can also refrigerate them for up to 7 days.
- Freeze: You can also freeze these pumpkin roll bars for up to 3 months. Either freeze them whole or slice them into individual portions. When you’re ready to enjoy them, let the bars thaw in the refrigerator overnight. For individual bars, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for a few hours. Once they’ve solidified, transfer them to freezer bags or an airtight container, layering parchment between each bar to prevent sticking.
Pumpkin Desserts To Try
The first signs of fall include leaves changing color, earlier sunsets, kids going back to school, and, of course, all things pumpkin spice! Here are some of my favorite pumpkin desserts you can make to kick off the fall season with pumpkin flair!
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Pumpkin Roll Bars
Pumpkin roll bars have all the things you love about pumpkin rolls without all of the hassle! They have perfectly spiced pumpkin cake with a smooth cream cheese swirl that will make this your new favorite fall dessert!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Batter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. You can also line the pan with parchment paper if you prefer. Set aside.
- Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale. Add 2 large eggs, 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ cup water and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until fully combined.
- Spread ⅔ of the pumpkin batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, add 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 large egg. Using an electric hand mixer, beat together until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter in the pan. Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the top.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese layer and the top layer of pumpkin batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool the pumpkin roll bars completely before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
Originally Posted on 10/15/2012
Updated on 8/28/2024
Nutrition
Calories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 6004IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can I use gluten free flour?
I made this yesterday. It did not bake all the way through with the time on this recipe so I had to bake longer. I baked it for almost an hour. I also could not spread the cream cheese part evenly, then tried to swirl it and it ended up being almost through the whole cake. It is very dense and not sure if it was totally done in some parts. I will try again to make sure the cream cheese part stays on the top.
Delicious!
This pumpkin bar recipe hits the spot with a little rich cream cheese flavor, but not overly sweet like a frosting can be. I had no issues following the recipe – as it was easy and well explained. My bars did cook up faster (but all ovens vary).
Definitely one to make again!