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–+ servings
a sheet pan with gluten free pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting arranged on a pan

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with a creamy, tangy frosting, making them an irresistible fall dessert. See recipe notes for dairy-free options.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Serving Size 36

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls You’ll need one large and one medium mixing bowl.
  • Electric Mixer For best results, use a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer—especially when whipping the cream cheese frosting to achieve that smooth, fluffy texture.
  • Digital Food Scale Optional but highly recommended for gluten-free baking.
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Spatula
  • 2 Cookie Sheet Pans
  • Parchment Paper optional
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients

  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 cup Oil 185 grams (Neutral flavored like sunflower oil or vegetable oil.)
  • 1 15 ounce can Pumpkin Puree not Pumpkin Pie Filling
  • 2 cups Sugar 445 grams
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 5 grams
  • 2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend 290 grams (I prefer King Arthur's Measure for Measure blend.)
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder 8 grams
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 7 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt 4 grams
  • 2 teaspoon Cinnamon 7 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg 1 gram (optional, see notes in recipe card.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger Powder 1 gram (optional, see notes.)

Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese 1 block, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Butter 1 stick, softened to room temperature
  • 3 cups Powdered Sugar 350 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 3 grams
  • 1 Tablespoon Milk 12 grams

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, add the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and sugar. Set aside.4 Eggs 1 cup Oil 1 15 ounce can Pumpkin Puree 2 cups Sugar 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend*, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. (As well as optional nutmeg, and ginger or pumpkin pie blend.) 2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend 2 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoon Cinnamon Optional 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger Powder
  • Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the large mixing bowl.
  • Mix well for 3 minutes on medium speed.
  • Line 2 9 x13 baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease them.)
  • Divide the batter in half and spread half of the batter over each parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  • Make sure to spread it out evenly over the entire baking sheet so it will bake evenly.
  • Bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until baked.
  • Cool the pans of pumpkin bars on cooling racks, until they are at room temperature.
  • Frost with the following cream cheese frosting recipe or make it a dairy free version using the recipes in the notes.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, place the room temperature cream cheese and butter as well as the vanilla extract. 8 ounces Cream Cheese 1/2 cup Butter 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter till smooth.
  • Add 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar at a time to the large bowl, mixing well between each addition. 3 cups Powdered Sugar
  • Use the tablespoon of milk a little bit at a time to achieve a smooth consistency and your desired thickness of cream cheese frosting. 1 Tablespoon Milk
  • Divide the frosting in half and frost the cooled Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars.

Notes

My preferred gluten free flour blend that I use as an all purpose gluten free flour mix is King Arthur's Measure for Measure mix. It already has xantham gum included.
If your homemade gluten-free flour blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum for every 2 cups of gluten-free flour, such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. This helps bind the ingredients and gives your baked goods better structure and texture.
For a classic pumpkin spice flavor, you can include the optional use of ground nutmeg and ground ginger powder along with cinnamon, or simply substitute with 3 teaspoons (15 grams) of a pumpkin pie spice blend for convenience.
For Dairy-Free frosting options try out my Dairy Free Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe or make a simple and fast Dairy Free Vanilla Glaze

Storage

Store the gluten-free pumpkin bars in an airtight container, or wrap the baking pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the bars before frosting them (either whole or sliced) for up to 3 months; just thaw in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.