Cranberry Swirl Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Texaschef11

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 2/3 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 3-oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1-2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and melted butter until well combined. Beat in egg, all of the spices and the vanilla extract. Stir in pumpkin puree, then stir in the flour mixture. When all of the flour has been incorporated, fold in the chopped pecans.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Dollop cranberry sauce on top and swirl through gently with a butter knife.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean.
Cool bars completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Beat in vanilla and milk, then gradually add in in the confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches a thick, but spreadable consistency.
Spread in a thin layer over cooled bars (there may be frosting leftover; if so, store in the fridge in a ziploc bag for another batch).

Makes 24 bars