Cranberry Pumpkin Bars
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Tart cranberries and a brown butter cream cheese frosting make these Cranberry Pumpkin Bars an epic fall dessert. Rich, flavorful, and perfectly fall, you’re going to love this seasonal treat.
My Favorite Pumpkin Bar Recipe
Pumpkin bars … the gift that keeps on giving. I would say that pumpkin bars are my favorite fall treat. (Well, let’s say in the top five.) While I love the classic recipe (you can find that HERE), I wanted to try something different and add in the tart flavor of cranberries.
As you might have guessed, in this post we’re making these cranberry pumpkin bars with brown butter cream cheese frosting. I love what the cranberries do for this recipe. They add this subtle tartness that just works so wonderfully with the sweet and spiced flavors of the pumpkin cake.
Then there’s the brown butter cream cheese frosting. I shared the recipe for this yesterday. You can find it HERE. I also used it on my applesauce cupcakes. (I’ll be sharing that recipe soon!) It’s incredibly good and works so well with fall desserts. I know you’re going to love it as much as I do.
Want some of my other favorite fall treats? Try these:
- Caramel Apple Muffins
- Aunt Maggie’s Pumpkin Roll
- Homemade Apple Strudel
- Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding
- Salted Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
Before we go any further, I want to quickly mention that today I’m being joined by my Tastes of the Season blogger friends. We’ve teamed up to share our favorite fall pumpkin treats. Be sure to check out the delicious collection of recipes at the end of this post. You’re in for a delight.
Want even more of my pumpkin recipes? Check out all my favorites HERE.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars:
I’ll walk you through the steps here, but for your convenience, I’ve also provided a detailed ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10 baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, and melted butter.
- Add in the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold in three-fourths cup dried cranberries.
- Spread this batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Prepare a half batch of the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe.
- Frost the cooled bars. Sprinkle with the remaining one-fourth cup of chopped cranberries.
Slice, serve, and enjoy that cranberry, pumpkin, and brown butter goodness!
What’s not to love, right?
FAQ and Recipe Notes:
Do You Need to Refrigerate Pumpkin Bars?
Yes, you should always refrigerate any cake or cupcake that has cream cheese frosting. While sugar does inhibit spoilage, I always think it’s better to be safe than sorry. Remove the pumpkin bars from the refrigerator about a half-hour before serving.
Can I freeze these pumpkin bars?
Yes, however, I personally don’t like to freeze cream cheese, so I would not freeze these pumpkin bars unless I absolutely had to.
If I don’t like cranberries, what can I use?
If you’re not a fan of cranberries, you can try dried cherries, raisins, toffee bits, or even a nut such as pecans or walnuts. Those all sound delicious!
Tastes of the Season Maple Recipes:
Ready for more pumpkin goodness? Be sure to visit my blogger friends below. Don’t their recipes look wonderful? I’m confident you’ll find more deliciousness to try.
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Ella Claire & Co. | Cranberry Pumpkin Bars by Inspired by Charm | Baked Pumpkin Brie by French Country Cottage
Gluten and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies by Zevy Joy |
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake by Handmade Farmhouse
Happy Fall Baking!
And that’s a wrap on these cranberry pumpkin bars. They are so good my friend, so good!
I definitely hope you’ll add these to your fall baking list. As always, if you do make them, let me know. Share them on Instagram and be sure to tag me @inspiredbycharm. I always love to see your IBC recipes.
More Brownies and Bars You’ll Love
- Raspberry Brownies
- Rich Maple Butter Bars
- Cinnamon Bars
- Salted Caramel Crumb Bars
- Blackberry Crumb Bars
Want more from Inspired by Charm? Join the IBC Mailing List for inspiration in your inbox! Follow along on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my processes. There’s even more inspiration on Facebook and Pinterest!
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
- ¾ cup butter melted
- 1 cup chopped dried cranberries divided
- 1/2 batch brown butter cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10 baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, and melted butter. Add in the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in three-fourths cup of dried cranberries.
- Spread this batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- While your cake bakes, prepare a half-batch of the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe. You can find that in the notes below.
- Frost the cooled bars. Sprinkle with the remaining one-fourth cup of chopped cranberries.
These were amazing. And that frosting … EPIC!
It’s the bomb, right!? So glad you enjoyed them!
xo Michael