1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (228g) pumpkin puree
2 cups (250g) flour (I used half whole wheat, half white)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (quatre épices)
3/4 teaspoon salt
CREAM CHEESE SWIRL
8 ounces (224g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (32g) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a mixer (and if you have a paddle attachment you can use that too), 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 on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. On medium speed, beat in the pumpkin until combined. The mixture will look curdled; that’s ok.
In a measuring bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix. The mixture will be thick. Spread 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan; it will be a relatively thin layer. The rest will be added in step 5.
In a medium bowl 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 pumpkin seeds on top of the swirled batter.
Bake the bars for 25-30 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.
