Pumpkin Bars:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the pan
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk or water
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
Recipe adapted from Pop Sugar.
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 casserole dish; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in 2 eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and 1/3 cup milk (or water) until well blended. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg. Fold into the butter mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Spread batter evenly in the prepared casserole dish.
Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat softened cream cheese, one egg, and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Drop cream cheese mixture in evenly spaced 1-tablespoon dollops over the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the batter, gently folding some of the cream cheese mixture under the pumpkin batter.
Bake until the center of pumpkin batter (not the cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 to 32 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, and then cut into 20 bars.
