Pumpkin Bacon Bars with Caramel Frosting

Who doesn’t like bacon? It’s fall, so pumpkin is the favorite seasonal flavor. Have you ever thought of combining pumpkin and bacon? This recipe for Pumpkin Bacon Bars with Caramel Frosting will be a new favorite seasonal recipe.

Like salt, bacon’s smokey flavor can bring out the best in sweet dishes.  It’s that combination of sweet and salty that makes desserts like this one so delicious. It’s an unexpected yumminess. (Is that a word? If not, it should be.)

These pumpkin bacon bars smell heavenly of pumpkin and fall spices as they bake.  And the caramel frosting, a variation of Italian buttercream, is so good that you will want to lick it off your fingers.

Like salt, bacon’s smokey flavor can bring out the best in sweet dishes.  It’s that combination of sweet and salty that makes desserts like this one so delicious. It’s an unexpected yumminess (Is that a word? If not, it should be.)

Fall Dessert: Pumpkin Bacon Bars with Caramel Frosting

With the Thanksgiving season definitely upon us, I couldn’t resist giving you another wonderful pumpkin recipe.

I’ve shared a fabulous pumpkin soup, an awesome pumpkin appetizer and now it’s time for a wonderful pumpkin dessert – just in case you don’t like pecan pie or you want another option for Thanksgiving dessert.

As a cooking instructor for 15 years, I always taught that it’s not just about the recipe: it’s about the techniques and tips that you learn. So I always include tips to enhance each recipe experience.

So grab a cup of latte or if you were me, a glass of sweet iced tea, and join me for a cooking class.

Let’s pretend you are sitting at my kitchen island and we’re talking about how to make Pumpkin Bacon Bars with Caramel Frosting.

Equipment to Make this Cake

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Most of the baking equipment needed for this recipe is standard for you to have on hand.

• large mixing bowls
• measuring cups and spoons
• 9 X 13 baking pans
• aluminum foil
• whisk
• rubber spatula
• stand mixer
• saucepan
• offset cake spatula
• small non-stick skillet

Preparing the Ingredients for the Pumpkin Bacon Bars

Gather Your Ingredients

Always gather all your ingredients first. Then measure, chop, toast, dice, shred, whatever the instructions indicate. This is called mise en place; it means “everything is in its place” in French.  

We do not argue with the French when it comes to kitchen organization; they invented it. Mise en place will make your cooking/baking go more smoothly and efficiently.

Measure your dry ingredients together in one bowl, if appropriate.

As you measure spices, you can combine them into one bowl with the flour and baking soda, and salt.

Toasting the Pecans

I always use a non-stick skillet to toast nuts. You don’t add oil to toast nuts. They have enough of their own.

TIP: Do not walk away from the cooktop when you are toasting nuts.  They burn easily. (Don’t ask me how many times I’ve burned pine nuts and those little babies are expensive.)

Toast until you start to smell the aroma of the nuts, then immediately remove them from the skillet or they will keep cooking.

Preparing the Bacon

TIP: Before you dice the bacon, place the amount you need in the freezer for 15 – 30 minutes. Dicing will be so much easier.

Then you can cook the bacon in a skillet until just crisp (I use my Le Creuset skillets as often as I can.). Drain on paper towels and set aside.

NOTE: Save the drippings; you’ll need them for the batter.

Preparing the Pan

I prefer to use metal, straight-sided pans rather than Pyrex pans when making bars or brownies.

this Idea.

I always line bar or brownie recipe pans with foil.  Obviously, that keeps your pan a bit cleaner, but it is so much easier to lift the bars/brownies out of the pan and you don’t lose any corners.

Then, add softened butter, cooking spray or oil to grease the pan.

The Process – Making the Cake

After whisking the dry ingredients, add the toasted pecans.

Combine all your wet ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until combined. Pour into your prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake in the preheated 350˚F. oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the baking pan to a wire rack to cool.

When the cake is cool, you can easily lift it out of the pan using the extra foil. Pull the foil away from the pumpkin bars. Let the cake continue to cool on a cooling rack while you make the caramel frosting.

NOTE: Because Sweet Shark can’t (and shouldn’t) eat a whole batch of these pumpkin bacon bars, I cut the cake in half. I wrapped one half in plastic wrap and foil and placed it in the freezer. I will use that half at Thanksgiving when family comes to visit.

The Process – Making the Caramel Frosting

Add the brown sugar, water, and salt to the saucepan, whisk to combine, and bring to a boil.

 Be careful. Cooking sugar gets very hot.

Add the heavy cream in slowly. Then add the diced butter.

TIP: Before dicing the butter and cream cheese, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes. It will make the dicing so much easier. Then place the cubed butter and cream cheese back in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.

Remember: The mixture is very hot and will bubble up.  No kids are allowed anywhere near the stove!

Pour the caramel mixture into a stand mixer. (I have had my Kitchen-Aid mixer for years and I absolutely love it.)

TIP: The mixer bowl will become hot so grab it by the handle.

Whisk on high until the bowl cools, about 10 minutes. and the caramel looks like the picture below on the left. Now add your diced cream cheese, one cube at a time, and whisk in on high.

The caramel frosting will smooth out and the color will get lighter.

The frosting have a nice consistency.

You can now take a little lick.  I was right, wasn’t I? Heavenly.

This frosting is one of my two favorites. The other is the Nutella Frosting for my Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Your pumpkin cake should be cool by now.

Bonus Lesson – Cleaning the Frosting Saucepan

When you pour the caramel frosting into the standing mixer bowl, the saucepan will have the sticky sugary residue of the frosting. If you don’t clean it now, it will be difficult to clean.

It’s actually easy to clean if you follow these quick steps.

• Fill the saucepan with water.
• Bring to a rolling simmer.
• Use a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the saucepan, pushing the sugar residue into the water.

• turn the heat off and allow the water to cool enough to pour out into the sink.
• your saucepan will be mostly clear of all the sugar residue. Now you can clean the saucepan with soap and water.

Get Ready to Frost the Cake

Select the cake stand or platter that you want to place your cake on. I chose my square cake stand that I love.

I added strips of parchment paper to make frosting the cake easier.

Place the cake on the strips of parchment paper.

Spoon frosting on top of the cake.

Now you’re ready to frost the cake.

Frosting and Garnishing the Cake

Use a large offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly on top of the bars.  

NOTE: For the bars, spread the frosting just on the top of the cake. If you want to have the look of a cake, you can spread the frosting on the sides, too.

NOTE: You may have some frosting left over. Save it in the fridge for spreading on muffins, toast, pumpkin bread, or bribe your kids with it.

I like to add a lot of swirls to the top of my cake.

Have your diced bacon, pecans, and kosher salt ready.

Sprinkle the bacon, pecans, and kosher salt all over the top of the pumpkin cakes – which is technically, still a cake.

TIP: You can place the cake in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set the bars and frosting before slicing.

Serving Your Pumpkin Bacon Bars

You can cut the cake into 24 bars, 3 across and 8 down.

You can also serve the cake, cutting pieces to serve individually.

How to Serve this pumpkin bacon bar recipe?

• as a breakfast sweet with a cup of coffee
• as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea
• for dessert

The Pumpkin Bacon Bar Recipe

There you have it.  Absolutely delicious. Serve for dessert or serve the bars for breakfast. Enjoy Pumpkin Bacon Bars with Caramel Frosting. Make it for a party or a potluck dinner. Have it with coffee or tea. Sneak a piece before bedtime. I won’t tell.

More Wonderful Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Risotto Bites
• Creamy Southwest Pumpkin Soup
• Chocolate-Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Sage Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

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