Pumpkin Bars

Name: Pumpkin Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 4 eggs; 2 cups all purpose flour; 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin; 1 cup mini chocolate chips; 6 tbsp butter, room temperature; 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature; 7 cups powdered sugar; 1 tsp rye whiskey; 1/4 cup whole milk

Oct 31, 2024 • Tom Jackson

These pumpkin bars are the ultimate fall treat, with a moist, pumpkin-spiced cake and a rich, creamy frosting with a cheeky splash of whiskey! To make them, you’ll blend sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree into a batter, spiced with pumpkin pie spice and studded with mini chocolate chips. Bake it on a pellet grill for a smoky twist that’ll make your taste buds do a happy dance. The real fun begins with the frosting: a smooth, velvety mix of butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar with a dash of rye whiskey for flair. Spread the frosting, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top, and enjoy this sweet, spiced masterpiece!

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Whiskey cream cheese frosting: Butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a splash of rye whiskey produce a rich, tangy frosting that cuts through the sweetness of the spiced cake underneath.
Chocolate chips in every bite: Mini chocolate chips folded into the pumpkin batter give you pockets of chocolate woven through every bar — a combination that works far better than it has any right to.
Pellet grill baking at 375°F: The YS640 at indirect heat bakes these bars just like an oven, with the bonus of very gentle ambient smoke that adds a barely perceptible warmth to the finished bars.
Makes 24 bars from one pan: A full sheet pan yield means this is genuinely crowd-scale — perfect for fall gatherings, Thanksgiving dessert tables, or just keeping the kitchen stocked for the week.

Pumpkin Bars

Tom Jackson

Rated 4.4 stars by 5 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

24

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Calories

438

Beware: these pumpkin bars are so devilishly delicious, they might just haunt your dreams! With a wickedly moist, pumpkin-spiced cake baked on a smoky pellet grill and chocolate chips in every bite, these bars are a true fall temptation. Topped with a rich, ghostly swirl of whiskey-kissed frosting, they’re ready to cast a spell on anyone brave enough to take a bite… if you dare! 🎃👻

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

6 tbsp butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
7 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp rye whiskey
1/4 cup whole milk

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Directions

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill to 375ºF, set up for indirect grilling.
Combine the sugar and vegetable oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running.
Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and powder and salt in a separate bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat to mix well. With the mixer running on low, add half of the dry ingredients. When the dries have been mixed in, add half of the pumpkin puree. When the pumpkin is incorporated, repeat the process, working the other half of the dry ingredients, then the remaining pumpkin.
Bake the cake on the second shelf of the grill until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes, spinning the pan halfway through the cook. Remove from the grill. Cool to room temperature.
To make the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of the stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, mix to combine. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a splash of rye whisky and then the milk until you reach your desired consistency.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, then top with mini chocolate chips.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Can I bake these in a regular oven instead of a pellet grill?
Yes — 375°F in a standard oven works identically. The pellet grill adds a very faint ambient smoke at this temperature, but the bars are excellent either way. Use the same timing and the same toothpick test for doneness.

What size pan do I need?
A 15x10 inch rimmed jelly roll pan is the standard size for this yield and produces bars at the right thickness. A 9x13 pan also works but produces a thicker cake — add 10–15 minutes to bake time and confirm doneness with a toothpick. Grease and flour the pan, or line with parchment, before adding batter.

When do I add the chocolate chips?
After the final pumpkin addition is fully incorporated in Step 3, fold in the mini chocolate chips by hand with a spatula before pouring the batter into the pan. Don't add them with the mixer running — you'll break them up and turn the batter brown.

Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes — frosted bars keep well covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Store in a single layer in a covered container. The frosting sets firmer when chilled, which actually makes them easier to slice cleanly.

Can I make these indoors?
5 out of 5 — Perfect for indoor or outdoor cooking. A standard kitchen oven at 375°F produces results that are virtually identical to the pellet grill version. No adjustments needed.

Recipe Highlights

Alternate dry and wet ingredients: Adding the flour mixture and pumpkin puree in alternating halves prevents overmixing and gluten development — this is what keeps the bars moist and tender rather than dense and chewy. Don't rush it by dumping everything in at once.
Spin the pan halfway through: Rotating the pan at the midpoint compensates for hot spots on the grill or in the oven and ensures the bars bake evenly from edge to center. Set a timer at 22–23 minutes as a reminder.
Cool completely before frosting: The cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off a warm cake. Cool to room temperature before spreading — the refrigerator speeds this up significantly without affecting the finished texture.
Frosting consistency is adjustable: Start with 2 tablespoons of milk and add more gradually until you reach a spreadable consistency. Thicker frosting holds up better when slicing; thinner is easier to spread but may need a few minutes in the refrigerator to set before cutting into bars.