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These Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting are far from ordinary!! With a moist pumpkin bar base and a creamy browned butter frosting, you’ll FALL in love with these in no time!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fun Twist on a Classic! As much as I love a simple cream cheese frosting, the browned butter just adds a richness and depth of flavor that goes perfectly with the pumpkin spice!
Feeds a Crowd! It makes a large pan of bars, so it’s great for a crowd and sure to be devoured at any fall event!
Soooo Moist and Tender. Just like pumpkin bars should be, these have a moist and tender crumb, but are sturdy enough hold the delicious frosting on top!
Do the pumpkin bars with browned butter frosting need to be refrigerated?
They do – because these bars have cream cheese in the frosting, they should be refrigerated once they’ve been frosted. Be sure to cover the pan in foil or with an airtight lid to keep them moist. I thought that maybe since they were in the fridge, they’d be “out of site, out of mind”….I was wrong! 😉 These are just too good!!!
How do I make browned butter?
Does browned butter intimidate you?? Well, don’t let it. It’s super easy to make – you just need to pay close attention to it so it’s “brown” butter and not “black” butter!
Alright, so here’s how to make browned butter:
- Place butter into a saucepan over medium heat.
- Let the butter melt completely, stirring occasionally.
- The butter will start bubbling rapidly. Continue to stir.
- The butter will start bubbling higher and get a little foamy looking. Keep stirring and be sure to pay close attention at this point.
- The butter will start to turn brown. As soon as you notice the color, pull the saucepan off the stove top so you don’t burn it.
- Pour into a bowl or ramekin to stop the butter from cooking in the hot pan. Be sure to use a spatula to get all the brown flecks into the bowl – it adds such good flavor!
And that’s it – you’ve made browned butter! Next, just let it cool in the fridge and you’ll be ready to make the frosting in no time!
What are the little specks of brown in the frosting?
When the butter is cooking, the milk solids in the butter cook faster than the rest of the butter. Those particles will sink to the bottom and become brown soon before the rest of the liquid portion. These specks add some color to the frosting and ohhh so much flavor!
Other delicious fall sweet treats:
- Pumpkin Crisp
- Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Churro Mini Muffins
- Apple Crumble Pie
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Pumpkin Cream Pie
Get the printable Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting recipe below!
Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Frosting
Equipment
- 1 jelly roll pan 12×17 inches
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 tespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup oil
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 3-ounce package cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Pumpkin Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 tespoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Add the oil, pumpkin and eggs and stir until the batter is smooth. (You can mix by hand or with an electric mixer/stand mixer)1 cup oil, 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, 4 eggs
- Pour into a greased jelly roll pan (12 x 17") and baked for 20-25 minutes.
- Let cool completely and frost with the Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the stick of butter to a small saucepan over medium heat.1/2 cup butter
- Stir the melted butter frequently for 5-10 minutes or until the butter starts turning brown.
- As soon as the butter starts to turn color, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour before making the frosting.
- Add the cooled browned butter (and all the brown particles the sunk to the bottom!) and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth.1 3-ounce package cream cheese
- Beat in the vanilla, 3 cups of the powdered sugar and the milk.1 teaspoon vanilla, 3-4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk
- Add the additional cup of powdered sugar if it needs to be thickened a bit.
- Spread on top of the cooled pumpkin bars.
I can’t believe I’ve never tried making brown butter! This frosting tastes amazing!!! Thank you Kelsey for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it, Aimee!! Doesn’t browned butter add such amazing flavor?!
Kelsey what size can of pumpkin should we use?
Hi Amy – I’m glad you asked. I just clarified in the recipe! It’s a 15-oz can. Hope you love these as much as we do!!! 🙂 -Kelsey
These look so good! Do you think i could make the base the day before and let it sit at room temp, then frost day of? I’m guessing that’d work but wanted to ask! Thank you!
Yes, you can absolutely make the bars and frost them the next day! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Kelsey
This was SO good! I did end up making bars one day, frosting the next. The bars were a huge hit with my friends, thanks for a great recipe!
These are the best pumpkin bars ever! They are moist and delicious and the frosting is AMAZING! I always get compliments when I make them!
So happy to hear, Julie!! They’re one of my favorite fall desserts! 🙂 ~Kelsey