Pumpkin Bars with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To make the browned butter, heat the Butter (1 1/2 cups) in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to foam, smells nutty, and the milk solids start to turn golden brown.

Once it’s cooled slightly, pour it into a measuring cup. You will need 1 cup of the browned butter, which will have rendered down while cooking. Depending on the type of butter you use, you might have slightly more than 1 cup after browning.

In a large bowl or standing mixer, cream the Eggs (4), Unsweetened Pumpkin Purée (1 can), and 1 cup of browned butter together just until smooth.

Sift the All-Purpose Flour (2 cups), Granulated Sugar (1 1/2 cups), Baking Powder (2 tsp), Baking Soda (1 tsp), Ground Cinnamon (2 tsp), Ground Ginger (1 tsp), Ground Cloves (as needed), Ground Nutmeg (as needed), and Salt (as needed) into the bowl and mix until well combined.

Pour batter into a well-greased 9×13-inch baking pan and smooth out the batter. Place into the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the bars no longer jiggle in the middle.

In a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream the Cream Cheese (1 cup) and Butter (1/2 cup) together until smooth. Add in the Powdered Confectioners Sugar (3 cups) and Cream (1 Tbsp) and whip on medium/high until the frosting becomes light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Once the bars have cooled completely, smooth the frosting on top. Feel free to sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, sprinkles, or anything you might find festive. Slice to serve.