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Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars

Pumpkin gooey butter bars with a yellow cake mix crust and an impossibly soft pumpkin cream cheese center. Baked until the middle is slightly jiggly, then cooled and dusted heavily with powdered sugar.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake mix crust
  • 1 can (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
Gooey pumpkin filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 3 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar extra, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease a 9x13 baking pan.
Make the cake mix crust
  1. Combine the yellow cake mix, melted unsalted butter, and egg until a thick dough forms, then press firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Make the gooey pumpkin filling
  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla extract.
  2. Beat in the melted unsalted butter, then mix in the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until smooth.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the gooey pumpkin filling over the crust.
  2. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly, then remove from the oven and avoid overbaking.
Cool and finish
  1. Cool completely, then dust heavily with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

Notes

For clean bar slices, cool the pan completely before cutting; the filling firms up as it cools. Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze baked bars (wrapped well) for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduce butter slightly (expect a slightly softer center).