Ingredients
1cupunsalted butter,softened to room temperature
1cuplight or dark brown sugar,packed
1large egg,at room temperature
1tsppure vanilla extract
1cuppumpkin puree
2cupsall purpose flour,spoon & leveled
1tspbaking soda
1tspground cinnamon
2½tsppumpkin pie spice
¾tspsalt
8ozbrick style cream cheese,softened to room temperature
¼cupgranulated sugar
1large egg,at room temperature
1tsppure vanilla extract
¼cuppepitas,tossed in a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Preparation
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.
Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla at high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
At medium speed, beat in the pumpkin until combined. The mixture will look curdled; that’s ok.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined.
At low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. The mixture will be thick.
Spread ⅔ of the batter evenly into the prepared pan; it will be a relatively thin layer.
In a medium bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer filled with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.
Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat on high speed until completely combined. Drop random spoonfuls on top of the pumpkin batter.
Drop the remaining pumpkin batter on top of the spoonfuls of cream cheese. With a rubber spatula or knife, begin gently swirling the two together. Both mixtures are thick, so go slowly.
Jiggle the pan back and forth to get the layers to settle into the pan. Don’t worry if it looks messy; everything will come together in nice swirls as the bars bake. Sprinkle cinnamon-pepitas on top of the swirled batter.
Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator for about 2 hours before cutting into squares.
Leftover bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
