Pumpkin Pie Bars

Make the holiday season easier with these creamy and seasonal Pumpkin Pie Bars. I love how the crisp, shortbread-like crust pairs with the soft and luscious pumpkin pie layer making these the ultimate fall treat. Then top with whipped cream, ice cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar to really take these bars to the next level!

These healthy pumpkin pie bars are also great for gatherings because they’re gluten, dairy, grain, and refined sugar free so everyone can enjoy them! And I promise that no one will even suspect these bars are made with better-for-you ingredients … they’ll be too busy enjoying them 😉 Not to mention they’re 10x easier than making a traditional pie, saving you time and stress for this time of year!

If you’re looking for more pumpkin inspired sweets check out these Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes for the ultimate cozy breakfast or these Pumpkin Spice Coconut Butter Cups for a quick dessert.

Ingredients

Cassava Flour – A gluten and grain free flour that gives this crust the perfect soft yet crisp texture. My favorite brand to use is Otto’s Cassava Flour but any will do!

Coconut Sugar – Adds a slight caramel flavored sweetness to the crust as well as the pumpkin pie layer.

Vegan Butter – Holds the crust together and gives that buttery crust flavor while remaining dairy free and vegan.

Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling! My go-to brand is Libby’s pumpkin puree because it’s 100% pumpkin with no sweeteners or spices added.

Eggs – Adds structure and shape to the pumpkin pie layer.

Maple Syrup – A great refined-sugar free sweetener to compliment the pumpkin flavor.

Coconut Cream – Makes a super creamy base for the pumpkin pie layer while remaining entirely dairy-free and vegan.

Pumpkin Pie Spice – Gives the traditional pumpkin pie flavor from a blend of spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and allspice.

How to Make Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” pan with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, blend together ingredients for crust until you reach a sand like consistency, but the dough holds together when you press between your fingers, about 1 minute. 
3. Remove dough and press into the 9” x 9” pan in a single even layer.
4. Move to the oven and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. 
5. While crust is cooling, start on your filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie filling until smooth. Once combined, pour over crust. 
6. Turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake Pumpkin Pie Bars for 40-50 minutes, or until filling is set. 
7. Bring bars to room temperature, then move to fridge to chill overnight. 
8. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Best served cold. Optional: top with coconut whipped cream, cool whip, or your favorite ice cream!

Baking With Cassava Flour

Although cassava flour is a great option for gluten and grain free baking, there are some guidelines to follow to create the best texture with your pumpkin pie bars (or any baked good!)

Why this matters is because cassava flour is actually lighter than all-purpose/wheat flour yet absorbs more moisture. This means that you’ll have to make adjustments as needed to keep your baked goods from becoming too wet or too dry.

To ensure success when using cassava flour in this recipe:

• To measure, whisk flour before using a measuring cup to scoop. Use a flat edge to scrape and ensure the flour is level/even with measuring cup.

• Be careful when adding cassava flour to your ingredients as it is dusty and can spread easily.

Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling

Believe it or not there is a big difference between these two seasonal canned goods! Pumpkin puree is simply cooked and mashed pumpkin with nothing else added in. Look for the cans labeled as pumpkin puree or 100% pure pumpkin. Puree is great for baking because it doesn’t affect the sweetness and flavor of the other ingredients.

Pumpkin pie filling on the other hand is still cooked and mashed pumpkin but it has sweeteners and spices added in as well. So while it’s a great easy fill in for traditional pumpkin pie filling, it’s not the best for baking. The added sweetness and spices can overwhelm the other components of the recipe!

For this recipe make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree for the best flavor. My favorite brand is Libby’s pumpkin puree !

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Pie Bars

These bars are so good it would be hard to mess them up but there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind for the best flavor and texture.

• I have not tested this recipe with anything besides cassava flour and since it has a very specific consistency, I would not recommend any other flour.

• For the coconut cream, you will need at least 2, 13.5oz cans of full fat coconut milk that have been refrigerated overnight. This step helps the cream separate from the liquid.  To ensure there are no chunks of coconut cream in the filling, you can microwave the coconut cream for 10-15 seconds to liquify it before adding to the recipe.

• If you’re in a pinch and can’t refrigerate your coconut milk, just spoon the cream from the top of the full fat can of coconut milk and leave the clear liquid in the can. You can save the liquid milk to add to smoothies, soup, curries, etc.

How to Store

Since these gluten free pumpkin pie bars have the creamy layer on top, it’s best to store in a single layer or divide with parchment paper. I suggest storing in either the original baking pan with an airtight lid or finding one or two containers so that you don’t have to stack the bars and smudge the pumpkin pie layer. If you do need to stack the bars though, simply put a piece of parchment paper between them!

Any leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any!) can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

If you’re looking for more easy yet delicious desserts this holiday season be sure to check out these Walnut Fudge Caramel Bars that are perfectly chewy and fudgy with three layers of crust, caramel, then chocolate fudge. Or try these Caramel Apple Pie Bars that are a simpler take on Apple Pie with just as much flavor (if not more!) and certainly easier.

And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Pumpkin Pie Bars 🙂

Pumkin Pie Bars

Author Casey Colodny

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 9 bars

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Make the holiday season easier with these creamy and seasonal Pumpkin Pie Bars. I love how the crisp, shortbread-like crust pairs with the soft and luscious pumpkin pie layer making these the ultimate fall treat.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup cassava flour
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup vegan butter cold (1 stick, cut into pieces)

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 2 cups pumpkin puree Libby’s brand works best
• 2 ea large eggs
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 ½ cups coconut cream* packed
• 2 tablespoons cassava flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” pan with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, blend together ingredients for crust until you reach a sand like consistency, but the dough holds together when you press between your fingers, about 1 minute.
• Remove dough and press into the 9” x 9” pan in a single even layer.
• Move to the oven and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• While crust is cooling, start on your filling. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie filling until smooth. Once combined, pour over crust.
• Turn oven up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake Pumpkin Pie Bars for 40-50 minutes, or until filling is set.
• Bring bars to room temperature, then move to fridge to chill overnight.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Best served cold. Optional: top with coconut whipped cream, cool whip, or your favorite ice cream!

Notes

*solidified part of chilled can of full fat can of coconut cream

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