Pumpkin Spice Cookie Bars with Pumpkin Butter Frosting
Chewy, warmly spiced cookie bars topped with a creamy pumpkin butter frosting. A cozy fall dessert that is dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free -- pure autumn comfort in every bite.
Ingredients
- For the cookie bars: 1/2 cup dairy-free butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup pumpkin butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (egg replacer and moisture)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the frosting: 1/2 cup dairy-free butter, softened
- 2 tbsp pumpkin butter
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp oat milk (or other dairy-free milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
- 1Mix and bake the bars
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Cream together dairy-free butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in pumpkin butter, applesauce, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 25-28 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- 2Make the pumpkin butter frosting
In a large bowl, beat dairy-free butter and pumpkin butter until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, alternating with oat milk, until fluffy and spreadable. Mix in vanilla.
- 3Frost and serve
Spread frosting over cooled bars. Dust lightly with cinnamon for a rustic look. Slice into squares and serve.
