Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars With Brown Sugar-Cream Cheese Frosting
★★★★★
PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
25 minutes
MAKES
16 to 20 bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup
salted butter (4 ounces or 1 stick) (if using unsalted butter, increase kosher salt to 3/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup
vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups
(300 grams) light brown sugar, packed
1
15-ounce can (425 grams) pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
4
large eggs
2 cups
(240 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
baking soda
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
2 teaspoons
cinnamon
1 teaspoon
ground ginger
1 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon
ground cloves
1/2 cup
salted butter (4 ounces or 1 stick)
6 ounces
(168 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup
(50 grams) light brown sugar, packed (make sure it’s fresh and soft, not hard and lumpy)
1 teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
2 cups
(225 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch cake pan (or quarter sheet pan) with vegetable oil or butter.
-
To make the pumpkin bars: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook until it turns toasty-brown in color and smells nutty, about 4 to 6 minutes, frequently stirring and scraping up any bits from the bottom so they don’t burn. Immediately remove from heat and transfer brown butter to a heat-proof bowl or liquid measuring cup (scraping all of the brown bits into the cup). Set aside to cool while prepping other ingredients.
Time-Saving Tip:
Brown the butter for the pumpkin bars and frosting at the same time, then divide into equal portions—1/2 cup for the pumpkin bars, 1/2 cup for the frosting. Refrigerate the frosting portion for 35 minutes, or until just firm. - In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup brown butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in eggs until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until integrated and no streaks of flour remain. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and evenly distribute it.
- Bake until puffed and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. (Start checking at 18 minutes.) A tester inserted into the middle of the bars should come out clean. Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting: Brown the butter using the same method as described in Step 2 (and see time-saving tip above). Refrigerate for 35 minutes, or until just firm.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled brown butter (making sure to scrape all of the congealed brown bits into the mixing bowl), cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl once or twice. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar and mix until well blended, then increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and creamy, about 15 seconds longer.
- To frost and serve: Spread the frosting evenly over the pumpkin bars with a knife. Tightly covered, the bars will keep well for several days.
