Sourdough Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

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 bars, perfect for a crowd!

You can find more sourdough pumpkin recipes here: sourdough pumpkin bread, sourdough pumpkin streusel muffins, 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 featuring 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

These are a few ingredient highlights and notes -see recipe card for details and measurements.

For the bars

• Pumpkin pie spice– Use my recipe to make your own, or pick up a store-bought brand.
• Leavening: using both baking soda and baking powder increases the rises power in the batter, giving you a higher lift in the bars and sturdier texture.
• Oil: Oil is needed for a soft and tender texture. I use avocado oil, but any neutral vegetable oil works.
• Sourdough discard (see notes below)
• Pure maple syrup- for best results, do not use artificial syrup.
• Pumpkin puree – no need to blot excess moisture, simply use the whole can of puree.

For the frosting

• Full fat cream cheese- needs to be in brick form, and at room temperature.
• Unsalted butter – If you only have salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.

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 With Cream Cheese Frosting

Make sourdough pumpkin bars is super easy!

First, 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).

Step 1. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir very well with a spatula or whisk.

Step 2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it evenly with the back of your spatula or wooden spoon.

Step 3. Bake for 28-24 minutes, keeping an eye on the bars, as oven times vary. The pumpkin bars are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 4. 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!

Jamie’s 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. 
• For tender bars, do not over-mix the batter! Just like sourdough pumpkin streusel muffins, mix this dough until it’s just combined to avoid a tough texture.
• 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. 
• To make these bars ahead of time, bake the bars and let them cool, then place in an airtight container and freeze. When ready to serve, thaw the bars at room temperature for several hours, then make the frosting and enjoy.

Storage For Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bars

Make sure you let bars cool completely before storing.

Fridge: To store bars place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Freeze unfrosted bars by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

If frosted, first flash freeze the bars by placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet until frozen. Next, double wrap the bars in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Thaw in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours.

For more delicious sourdough fall recipes:

• sourdough apple crumble muffins
• sourdough caramel apple muffins
• sourdough gingerbread loaf
• sourdough maple pecan cinnamon bread

If you tried this Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting! 🙂