***UPDATE*** Since I only made these bars once, and for those of you who are coming over here via Pinterest I consider myself to be a BAD BAKER. lol I never make anything from scratch, and if I do it never comes out right. This recipe is my own, and I made it exactly as listed. However from some of the comments people were saying the cream cheese mix was lumpy and not easy to spread across the top- just add more water until its a better consistency to work with. I also had people ask about making it the day before or freezing/refrigerating. This did not taste good the next day from the fridge at all. I would not make this in advance. Make it same day- within a few hours of wanting to eat it. The angel food cake mix does not hold up the next day. I really did not enjoy it leftover. I hope these updates help you all! Any questions feel free to ask in the comments. THANK YOU! :)
Hey guys! I needed a dessert to take over to Sean’s family one night so I opened my pantry. I was running low on some of my staples that help me whip up FAST desserts but I had a box of angel food cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree.
I also remembered buying a block of reduced fat cream cheese for Sean to take to work (but he never did) so it was MINE! lol
EASY dessert in a pinch was created!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
18 bars- 3PP each OR 24 bars 2 PP each!
- 1 box angel food cake mix- the 1 step kind
- 1 15oz can Pumpkin
- 3/4 Cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 8oz pkg. reduced fat cream cheese
- -few tablespoons of water, to be mixed with cream cheese
I let the cream cheese soften on the counter for a while then I added it to my stand mixer & beat it with a couple of tablespoons of water until smooth. I just wanted it to thin out a little bit.
In a separate bowl, mix the cake mix, pumpkin, water, & cinnamon together until it is smooth & well mixed.
In a 9x13 pyrex dish- sprayed with PAM- add HALF of the cake –pumpkin mix. Then smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Drizzle half of the cream cheese over the top of it and take a small spatula to smooth it over the top. Add remaining cake-pumpkin mix & also the remaining cream cheese just making layers.
Finally take a butter knife- stick it into the mix and go back & forth over the top of the cake making figure “8’s” - to blend it a bit.
This is after it cooked- but you can see how I used the butter knife to swirl this together.
Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees OR until a toothpick comes out clean.
Wanna bite?
Technorati Tags: Weight Watchers,PointsPlus,Pumpkin,Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars,Angel Food cake ideas,Cream cheese,Low fat,low fat dessert ideas,dessert ideas,easy desserts
Yes please!
ReplyDeleteWow this is taking pumpkin to another level!! Can't wait to try!!! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI need to try!!
ReplyDeleteoooh so so so timely.
ReplyDeletethe six year old just discovered she likes cream cheese LAST WEEK!
Hi TJ. In fact, I would like a bite, thank you!! :) Hope you are doing well.
ReplyDeleteSeriously you are BRILLIANT! Looks so yummy!
ReplyDeleteI tried this and added vanilla to the cream cheese and water- delicious!
ReplyDeleteI made this exactly to your directions, but after 35-40 minutes the bottom was burning, but some of the middle parts were moist/uncooked and spongy. Also, I whipped the cream cheese with a couple tablespoons of water and it never came to the point where I could drizzle it over the pumpkin mix, so I just stirred it around as much as I could. Any thoughts as to why it didn't look like your picture?
ReplyDeleteHi Zach- I consider myself the worst baker ever, so I have no clue as what went wrong. I'm sorry, but thanks for trying them out.
DeleteTracey
Zach- I often find when baking with pam cooking spray itburns the bottom of what I am baking while the top is still soggy. I am not sure why this happens to some but not all. I usually use a little bit of vegetable oil, or olive oil, and the big grease daddy of them all CRISCO! Now I don't go hog wild with it but I dappen a paper towel with one of these non Stick products and just rub my pan down to were my finger slides on the pan. Try adding maybe a bit more water or use skim milk. Also are you using a stand mixer to blend the cream cheese and liquid? Thats really important cause it can stretch the ingredients faster and better than by hand. Also your not going for fine line drizzle you just want the cream cheese to have some fluidity to it to pour over the layer of pumpkin cake. Remember you will layer spread the layers then swirl it. So the most important part is just get the cream cheese mix on the pumpkin mix and be able to spread it out. Hope that helps you some. Also check where your rack is positioned in your over. Should be in the middle. If you still feel like the bottom is cooking too fast lower your temp. And extend cook time.
DeleteIt is possible that it is your pan. I find the older the pan, the more likely to burn. Also maybe your oven. Some baked items should only be done on top rack or flipped
Deletehalf way through cooking time. Hope these tips help.
I'd love to have you come and share these at my Pumpkin Linky Party. It's all about pumpkins and this recipe looks fabulous! Hope to see you there. Linda
ReplyDeletehttp://twosucculentsisters.blogspot.com/2012/09/thirty-days-of-pumpkins.html
How many Weight Watcher's points plus per serving???
ReplyDelete18 bars- 3PP each OR 24 bars 2 PP each
DeleteThese sound really good whether you are dieting or not! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteStopping at the grocery store this afternoon. Can't wait to try these!
ReplyDeleteI'm making this tonight! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDid you also use the ingredients listed on through cake mix? Or Did you omit them?
ReplyDeletehi Liz- ignore the box directions & only add what I put in. :) It does need to be the 1 step angel food cake mix. Enjoy!
DeleteMAN OH MAN DOES THIS LOOK AND SOUND GOOD. I'M GOING TO MAKE IT BEFORE MY DIET......LOL.
ReplyDeleteKARRYLIN
Tried these today. ..didn't come out as pretty as yours but were yummy! Think I will try adding vanilla in my cream cheese next time. Thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDeletewhat is one step angel food cake mix??
ReplyDeleteIf you buy the Duncan Hines brand THAT one is 1 step. :) Some brands make you add egg/water to a package then add in another package that is in the box. You should open the mix and see ONE bag. :) Hope that helps ya!
DeleteMade these today...mine didn't look as cream cheesy as yours! I think I will use more next time. did you refrigerate or leave out? I'm never sure what to do when I bake. They are pretty tasty... my 2 year old loves them!
ReplyDeleteI brought them to my in-laws and they didnt have any leftover. lol Glad you & your 2 year old enjoyed them! :)
DeleteYUM! :)
ReplyDeleteVery tasty! The only thing I did differently was I used milk instead of water to thin the cheese. Also, I just poured all the batter in, then dotted the top with spoonfuls of the cheese that I swirled through. Mine aren't as pretty, but they're sure good. Do you know if they'll freeze ok?
ReplyDeleteHey Janet- glad you liked them! When I made them almost all of them were gobbled up, but I do know the leftovers that we had were put in the fridge and they did not taste as good the next day. So I would think freezing them might not be good either.
DeleteIM wondering if the cake mix and pumpkin etc is super fluffy as yours was? mine got super fluffy
ReplyDeleteHi i was wondering if the cake mix and pumkin etc was super fluffy? mine is and it doesnt look right
ReplyDeleteIf you are talking about when you mix the pumpkin, the cake mix, & water together- YES! :) It puffs up a lot, then kinda deflates.
DeleteI made these tonight and they are absolutely amazing. Wowwww! I did have to cook them a little longer to get them cooked all the way through but that could be my oven. My swirls weren't as pretty as yours either, but this is definitely going to be my "go to" dessert for the holidays! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked them! :)
DeleteIs there a trick to the swirls? I find because the cake mix gets so fluffy, that the cream cheese is too heavy, making it hard to smooth out over top and swirl properly.
ReplyDeleteMy friend said she added more water to the cream cheese to thin it out a little and found it easier to swirl in. Hope that helps you! :)
DeleteJust made them an added cream cheese frosting. Forget the points plus, they were tasty!
ReplyDeleteI just got these out of the oven, let them cool and tasted them...... so yummy for a quick throw together! I used 1 Tsp of cinnamon instead of 1/2 cause I love my cinnamon ;-) I also couldnt get the create cheese to look that beautiful - she must have made the cream cheese almost water like to get it to lay so beautifully! I added 5 TB of water to the room temp cheese - STILL not enough water. well, I will be making these again! thank you!
ReplyDeleteGetting ready to make these right now...considering adding vanilla and maybe a dash of pumpkin pie spice.....any suggestions on the spice?
ReplyDeleteI only made them once- but a friend of mine did add cinnamon to the mix. :) Enjoy!
DeleteI didn't read through all the comments so sorry if this was already asked - how many calories is the recipe?
ReplyDeleteI don't count calories- but I did post the Weight Watchers Points Plus for them.
Delete18 bars- 3PP each OR 24 bars 2 PP each
:)
My mom is on Weight Watchers and I was at starbucks and wanted the pumpkin bar from there and mom couldn't have it because it was 9 points!!! So i am making this for her and my dad so they can enjoy our favorite part of fall. Pumpkin EVERYTHING!!! Wish me luck :)
ReplyDeleteI made this and people seemed to like it. I used 1.5 packages of cream cheese mixed with some milk to loosen it up. I did layer it all and if I say, the pcs with more cream cheese were the best. I say probably 2 packages is in order next time.
ReplyDeleteI baked at 350 for about 40'ish minutes on the middle rack to prevent burning.
Great idea! Thanks!
My cake mixture was too "wet" to 'spread' the cream cheese over it. I agree it did need more cream cheese. Loved the suggestions of vanilla, I also added some agave nectar to the cream cheese mixture.
ReplyDeleteWaiting for it to finish baking... Smells wonderful.
Darn, I didn't read any comments and went ahead and just made it...AND, just had my first bite! I really liked it, something different and has the lightness of Angel Food which is a favorite of mine! Will take some suggestions of others if I make it again!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! It's pinned when I need it again!
Happy Thanksgiving (this is headed to my families house tomorrow!)
Are these ok to leave out tonight so I can take to thanksgiving dinner tomorrow?? Wasn't sure bc of cream cheese in it??
ReplyDeleteThey would need to go in the fridge ( I would think) but honestly Drew I didn't care for these leftover- the next day. :(
DeleteMade them for Thanksgiving, not realizing they wouldn't be as good after refrigerating...you should mention that earlier in the recipe!! Who waits until the day of to make a dessert??
ReplyDeleteI had high hopes for this, but mine didn't come out looking like this and from my taste test, they weren't all that great. My cream cheese was NOT drizzly at all, but I do not own a stand mixer, so maybe that's why. They are burned on the edges and spongy inside. Oh well, at least there will be other desserts tomorrow!
Considering I am the WORST baker ever- I bake nothing from scratch ( see all the boxed mixes I use. lol) I have no idea why this came out as it did when I made it. Luck I guess lol Everyone enjoyed it the day I made it, but since I made it way back in June I had no idea that it would become a popular recipe. Honestly I do need to update the intro to this recipe to WARN people to plan on eating it the same day, so thank you for the info. :)
DeleteI made these and tasted the cream cheese mixture after adding about a teaspoon of vanilla and felt it needed a tiny bit of sugar, I added two tablespoon of sugar. After tasting the pumpkin mixture I felt a little nutmeg and a tiny bit of brown sugar, one tablespoon, would do it wonders. These were delicious, top them with some lite cool whip, not a bad dessert if you are trying to eat lighter. It baked perfectly by the way, did not burn at all and were moist, perfect texture.
ReplyDeleteI made these in the morning for Thanksgiving dessert. I do not have a stand mixer and mixed the cream cheese by hand. I did soften the cream cheese in the microwave. I added about a teaspoon of vanilla and after tasting it decided it needed 2 tablespoons of sugar, it was perfect. To the pumpkin mixture I added 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and it was delicious. They baked perfectly for me, did not burn, great texture and I think topped with some light whipped cream are going to be really good.
ReplyDeleteI did refrigerate the first time I made this and they were fine. I'd made two 8x8 pans and refrigerated one pan uncut-maybe that made a difference...
ReplyDeleteI have made this stunning seasonal pumpkin dessert today & loved it so much. I used home-made pumpkin puréé because we can't buy it here in Belgium out of a can! :)
ReplyDeleteregards,
russel of Chiropractic Care Center