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Cozy Salted Caramel Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Swirl

cozy salted caramel pumpkin bars - featured image
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Tender, spiced pumpkin cake swirled with tangy cream cheese and topped with a salted caramel drizzle. These easy bars are the perfect last-minute fall dessert that will disappear in minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (226g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Whisk in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
  5. In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese and ¼ cup sugar with a hand mixer until smooth. Add egg yolk and ½ teaspoon vanilla, beat until just combined.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl in a figure-eight motion, making 3-4 passes.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
  8. For the caramel: In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, spread ½ cup sugar in an even layer. Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until sugar melts and turns deep amber (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk in butter until melted, then slowly drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. Stir in ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Let cool 10 minutes to thicken.
  9. Once bars are completely cool, drizzle caramel over the top. Sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt. Let set 15 minutes, then lift bars out using parchment overhang. Slice into 24 squares.

Notes

Make sure cream cheese is truly softened to room temperature to avoid lumps. For the caramel, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent burning. Do not leave caramel unattended. Cool bars completely before adding caramel to prevent it from soaking in.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bars, cream cheese swirl, salted caramel, fall dessert, pumpkin dessert, easy pumpkin bars, autumn baking

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