With it being fall and staying in the festive theme, I thought it would be fun to whip up a dessert option that quite honestly could be served year round. I love pumpkin and try to incorporate it into lots of recipes during the fall season. I cannot begin to explain just how tasty these dessert bars are! I guarantee they will be a new family favorite just as they are for my family.
Ingredients Needed:
1 block of cream cheese
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 can of pumpkin puree
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
Pecans (Make sure to buy the pieces already chopped up.)
1 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
To make the dessert bars, follow these steps below:
1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven warms up, go ahead and lightly coat a cake pan such as this one HERE with nonstick cooking spray.
2: In a mixing BOWL, add the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 egg and vanilla. Mix together with a handheld MIXER until everything is well blended. Set aside.
3: In a separate mixing BOWL, add the pumpkin puree, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg and the vegetable oil. Mix everything together with the handheld MIXER until yet again everything is well blended. Now add in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and the salt. Mix everything once again until it has formed a smooth texture.
4: Pour the batter into the greased cake PAN and evenly smooth it out. Now it’s time to add the cream cheese mixture. I recommend dropping spoonful’s of the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin batter because it’s easier to swirl the two together.
5: Carefully with a knife, you will start mixing the two batters together until they form almost a swirled like appearance such as in the photo below. Sprinkle the pecan pieces on top, and you’re now ready to begin baking. Side note, you don’t have to add the pecans. They taste just as delicious without them!
6: Bake this sweet treat for approximately 25-27 minutes and then take it out of the oven to cool. Once it has cooled, carefully cut it into squares and place on a serving board for your family to enjoy!
This recipe is packed full of flavor and can be made in a matter of minutes which is perfect for us busy moms, dads, grandparents, friends and everyone else who is always on the go. Majority of these ingredients are already in your pantry which makes it less of a haul to get. I promise you that your house guests and/or family will be adding this to their favorites list and request the recipe themselves. Feel free to tag me if you try this recipe out. Happy baking!
