If you’re looking for an easier version of the classic pumpkin roll, I’ve got you covered. These pumpkin roll bars have all the components of the original cakes, but are so much easier to make and serve you might never go back.
This recipe was originally published on October 19, 2014, and was republished in October 2020 to add better quality photos, re-test the recipe, and add more helpful tips.
Pumpkin is one of those flavors that truly embraces a season. While you might get the freshest oranges in winter or really ripe strawberries in spring, you will inevitably see those flavors in desserts throughout the year. But pumpkin you almost never see outside of fall.
Perhaps it is this lack the rest of the year that makes it that much more special when we do eat it. And why we have such iconic recipes for it: pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin rolls! And then of course there’s pumpkin spice blend that is everywhere this time of year.
Making treats healthier
While I have been trying to eat healthier – especially with a growing family – I don’t think I will ever give up my sweet and creamy treats. I love them too much. But even if I don’t go so far as to make them truly healthy, I can still include more nutrients in my desserts so that my family gets some good stuff at the same time.
Perhaps there’s not a lot that can be done to make a cheesecake swirled pumpkin roll bar healthy, but there are a few small steps I’ve taken. Primarily, trading some of the white all-purpose flour for whole wheat. I know I talk about the benefits of whole grains a lot, but it is such an easy step to take and you get extra vitamins, protein, and fiber.
Another one of my easy replacements in this recipe is using my own pumpkin puree. Admittedly, I use homemade simply because you can’t find canned pumpkin puree in Lithuania. But even if it was available, I would use what I made myself so that I know exactly what goes into it. There are so many preservatives and added sugars in processed foods that you just can’t be sure.
In my efforts to include fewer processed ingredients, I have switched the white sugar in this recipe for coconut sugar. I even tried making the cheesecake swirl with maple syrup but, unfortunately, it turned out too runny so I had to leave powdered sugar here.
A perfect party recipe
While the classic pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling is great, taking it to an event can be more challenging. Cakes that require plates and forks need so much more planning. So, I turned all those same flavors into a bar. Easy to transport, serve, and eat!
Bars are the perfect thing to take to potlucks and parties. Individually portioned for easy serving, but without the work of forming hand pies or a miniature version of something. It makes these much faster and foolproof – no cracking cakes or filling squishing out!
They are so easy, and there are so many options – at least one for every season. If you are looking for some other bars that work well for fall parties, perhaps try salted caramel apple cheesecake brownies or chocolate coconut cookie bars. I don’t think there is a single option that will disappoint.
Cheesecake Swirled Pumpkin Roll Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (I used homemade)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz. (225g) cream cheese , softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Spread about 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla until fully incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Spread this cream cheese mixture evenly over the pumpkin batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer. Take a butter knife and gently swirl the batter. Sprinkle the pecans over the top, and using a spatula, gently press into the batter.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin batter is set and springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack. Cut into squares and serve.
- Store these pumpkin roll bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
15 Comments
Crystal | Apples & Sparkle
October 21, 2014 at 5:03 amWow! These looks so good! The moist texture is just singing to me in your gorgeous photos. Love them! : )
Jovita
October 21, 2014 at 6:21 amYes, they are! Thanks Crystal! 🙂
KD
October 25, 2014 at 9:31 pmI made this yesterday… and it’s almost gone lol. I did use coconut oil instead of “vegetable” oil, and all regular flour instead of half whole grain flour. It’s absolutely wonderful. I’m going to make cupcakes next time so I can freeze them individually.
Jovita
October 26, 2014 at 10:08 amI’m so happy you all liked them! 🙂 So thank you for letting me know!
Sue
October 8, 2020 at 12:50 amCan regular sugar be used in place of coconut sugar?
Jovita
October 8, 2020 at 7:45 pmHi, Sue! Of course 🙂
GeneMae Reams
January 2, 2018 at 6:12 pmIHAVE A FRIEND WHO CAN,T EAT NUTS WHAT CAN USE INSTEAD OF NUTS IN THE BARS.
Jovita
January 14, 2018 at 12:31 pmJust skip them 🙂
Angela
November 14, 2019 at 5:59 pmThese look amazing! Have you ever tried making them in a muffin tin?
Jovita
January 13, 2020 at 8:43 pmNope, let me know if you will, Angela 🙂
B.
August 4, 2021 at 7:46 pmIn your recipe you list 1/4 c. pecans, then further down you say sprinkle walnuts on top. Just letting you know if you’d like to fix your recipe. I’d actually use either nut. They’d both taste great with this cake, it sounds delicious.
Jovita
August 13, 2021 at 8:57 pmThank you so much! I fixed it. 🙂
Janet
September 25, 2021 at 8:48 pmI just made these and they are delicious! I used sour cream instead of buttermilk and regular sugar instead of coconut sugar since I didn’t have either on hand. They turned out perfectly. I did have to bake an extra 10 minutes after I checked with a toothpick, so 40 minutes total. I love that the recipe calls for only 1 cup of sugar since I have seen similar recipes with up to 3 cups sugar, ugh! Thank you for this great recipe. I’ll be making them again.
Jovita
October 23, 2021 at 9:12 pmI am so happy you liked these bars, Janet! I always try to add less sugar, glad you noticed that 🙂
JM_in_VA
November 18, 2022 at 4:26 amThere are 20,000+ pumpkin recipes out there and I have baked quite a few of them – once. These pumpkin bars are moist and delicious, but most of all really simple to make. The recipe isn’t finicky if you don’t have special flour or sugar or buttermilk on hand – they still turn out great. They cut and serve like a dream and look so impressive on a serving platter. This recipe is a keeper. I can’t wait to make these again!