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Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

Pumpkin snickerdoodle bars with a cinnamon-sugar crust baked to a just-set, chewy pumpkin interior. Simple bar format with a caramelized top and a soft center—perfect when you want classic snickerdoodle flavor with pumpkin.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree (blotted dry)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon sugar topping
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp cream of tartar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease a 9x13 pan.
  2. Use a 9x13 pan so the batter bakes evenly across a thin bar layer.
Mix dry and wet
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cream of tartar, nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
  2. Whisk melted butter and granulated sugar together, then add the blotted pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
Combine, top, and bake
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin batter until just combined, then spread the batter in the greased pan.
  2. Mix the cinnamon sugar topping ingredients, then sprinkle generously over the entire surface.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F until just set; do not overbake so the bars stay chewy.
Cool and cut
  1. Cool the bars completely before cutting so they set cleanly and keep their soft, chewy texture.

Notes

Pro tip: blot the pumpkin puree dry before mixing—this helps the bars bake into a soft, chewy interior instead of turning cakey. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use a 1:1 baking-style substitute for part or all of the butter, keeping the bake time the same for a chewy set.