Pumpkin Bars

Delicious, moist cake-like bars.

From Mark & Cori Dodds - Wichita, Kansas - 1996

Print Recipe

Ingredients

4 Eggs - beaten
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups Pumpkin - canned or cooked and mashed
2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
½ teaspoon Ginger
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
½ cup Chopped Pecans - optional

Instructions

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin in a large bowl; blend well.
In separate bowl, sift together all remaining ingredients except nuts.
Gradually beat flour mix into pumpkin mixture until completely combined. Stir in nuts, if desired.
Pour batter into a greased and floured jelly roll pan/cookie sheet (12x18" or 13x17").
Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back and it begins to pull away from the pan's sides. Cool thoroughly.
Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle with additional chopped nuts, if desired.

Notes

Yield: 48 bars - Servings: 24

Carrot Bars Variation from Christine Bartholomew:
Use same ingredients for Pumpkin Bars except the oil and pumpkin. Instead, use 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup applesauce, and 1 1/2 cup carrots, finely grated or pulpy and well packed into cup. Add raisins (briefly soaked in water) with nuts, if desired. Follow all other directions.

To prepare carrots: wash and peel; shop into large segments and grate with finest grating blade in Cuisinart. Switch to regular blade and process carrots until almost a grainy pulp.