Sourdough Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese

Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by Jamie Saechao

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These easy sourdough discard pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are the best fall treat you will find! Light and moist, yet sturdy and substantial, these cakey sourdough pumpkin bars are the perfect treat for fall parties and game days.

I always know when a recipe is a hit when the neighbor kids come back asking for more! In fact, my four kids kept asking me for these easy pumpkin bars for days after making them. Unfortunately, they were gobbled up immediately- no leftovers!

These sourdough pumpkin bars are the perfect treat for festive fall parties or as a treat for football game days. This recipe makes 24 medium sized bars- making them a great dessert for a crowd.

Get more sourdough pumpkin recipes: sourdough pumpkin bread, sourdough pumpkin muffins with crumb topping, sourdough pumpkin scones.

Why You’ll Love Them

Here’s a few reason why you’ll love this cozy fall sourdough treat:

• Lots of pumpkin flavor and vibrant pumpkin pie spice
• Soft and fluffy, yet surprisingly sturdy-they won’t crumble in your hands
• The cream cheese frosting features pumpkin pie spice is delightful
• This recipe is quick and easy to put together
• Feeds a crowd- with 24 bars, this filling treat is perfect for Halloween parties!

Ingredients

For the bars

• all-purpose flour 
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• ground cinnamon
• nutmeg *optional
• pumpkin pie spice
• oil (I use avocado oil)
• eggs
• sourdough discard (see notes)
• light or dark brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• pure maple syrup
• vanilla extract
• pumpkin puree

For the frosting

• Full fat cream cheese at room temperature (in brick form)
• Unsalted butter
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Salt

Sourdough discard is any flat, runny portion of sourdough starter that is typically discarded before you feed your starter. I like to use discard that is less than 48 hours old for this recipe. You can also use active starter, just stir it down before adding it in!

How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Bars

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving 1/2 inch of paper on two sides for easy removal (or grease the pan well).

Here are the super easy steps for these sourdough bars:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients
2. In a separate large bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and whisk together very well.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk very well (you can also mix with a spatula)
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it evenly with the back of your spatula or wooden spoon.
5. Bake the bars until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let the bars cool completely. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Spread over bars, then refrigerate for 30 minutes and slice!

Recipe Tips

• For easy removal of the bars, make sure 1/2 inch or so of the parchment is hanging off at least two sides of the pan, so you can transfer + cut them easily.
• I like to use sourdough discard that is about 24 hours old- it’s flat and runny, but not too “sour”.  The older the sourdough starter, the more sour the flavor. 
• If you don’t have any discard, you can use active starter- just stir it down before adding it to the dough.
• Make your own pumpkin pie spice with ingredients you have in your pantry!  Get my recipe for pumpkin pie spice here. 
• Storage: To store bars place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

For more delicious sourdough fall recipes:

• sourdough apple crumble muffins
• sourdough caramel apple muffins
• sourdough gingerbread loaf