When autumn rolls in, Martha Stewart reaches for one of the simplest, most reliable crowd-pleasers in her entire recipe collection: soft, warmly spiced pumpkin bars with optional cream cheese frosting. They’re the perfect hybrid between cake and bar—easy to slice, even easier to share, and absolutely irresistible with a hot coffee or cider.
These bars come together with pantry staples, a single bowl for dry ingredients, another for wet, and a straightforward bake that makes your kitchen smell like the holidays. Whether you frost them (highly recommended) or enjoy them plain, this is the kind of fall dessert that disappears fast.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 teaspoon for greasing
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pure pumpkin purée
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp coarse salt
For the Frosting (Optional)
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp coarse salt
How to Make Martha Stewart’s Pumpkin Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×11-inch pan with butter, then line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang for easy lifting.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée and milk.
Set aside. - In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale, light, and fluffy—about 2 minutes. A stand mixer is easiest, but a handheld whisk works too.
- Crack in the eggs and beat until fully incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add: ⅓ of the dry mixture followed by ⅓ of the pumpkin mixture
- Repeat, alternating until everything is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt until light and fluffy—about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Cut into 12 bars and serve.
Storage & Freezing
Store pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The frosting firms up nicely when chilled. To freeze, skip the frosting: wrap the cooled cake slab tightly in plastic, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, frost, slice, and enjoy.
FAQ
Can I make these without frosting?
Yes! They’re delicious plain—soft, fragrant, and lightly sweet.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin purée?
No—pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced, which would throw off the recipe.
Can I bake this in a 9×13 pan?
Yes, but the bars will be slightly thinner. Reduce baking time by a few minutes.
Can I add mix-ins?
Absolutely—try chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips.
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