If you’re looking for a super easy treat to make this Halloween, these pumpkin bars are exactly what you need. They only have a few ingredients, take about 5 minutes to prep, and are a favorite with everyone.

I like to do most of my baking from scratch, but it sure does come in handy to have some quick recipes as well. These Easy Pumpkin Bars use time-saving shortcuts like boxed cake mix, canned pumpkin, and pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice. The results are just as delicious as if you’d toiled in the kitchen all day: the bars are light, moist, and full of fall flavor.

I usually make these pumpkin bars when we’re having a large fall gathering and I’ve got a lot of other food to make. (The recipe makes a very large batch so you can easily serve a crowd.) But I’ve also whipped them up while visiting friends and family as they don’t require any special kitchen tools and I can get the ingredients anywhere. I always get requests for the recipe!

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Easy Pumpkin Bars

Servings 32 bars

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 boxed yellow cake mix
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 cans cream cheese frosting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350◦. Grease a 13 x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, cake mix, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer (start on low and gradually increase to high) or a large whisk, beat the ingredients until fully mixed into a smooth, thick batter.
• Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan with a rubber scraper, being sure to smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Cool completely, then carefully spread the frosting over the top. Cut into bars.