Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars are the ultimate, healthy, pumpkin treat. They are secretly healthy and ultra scrumptious. Enjoy them plain, or topped with your favorite chocolate frosting.
Like many people, I will eat or drink anything made with pumpkin. There is something about the smooth texture and the hint of sweetness that satisfies ones craving for something delicious.
Pumpkin is healthy, filling, and one of our favorite fall flavors (even though we eat gluten-free pumpkin treats year round).
People ask me often if pumpkin is a seasonal. That really depends on the person. Yes, pumpkin is harvested in the fall. But, it’s available year round.
Pumpkin adds moisture and flavor to baked treats. You can spice up most pumpkin treats with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but it’s just a tasty baked into a donut or cake without any spice.
These bars are not only pleasing, they are filling too. They are naturally grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free (unless you sprinkle powdered sugar on it, like I did in the photo) – and no frosting required, but you can totally put frosting on them for an extra special treat.
You can eat them for breakfast, snack, or dessert because they are secretly healthy. My kids think they are getting an ultimate treat for breakfast when I let them “sneak” one of these Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars.
My girls like to eat them plain for breakfast, while I like to put a teaspoon of Nutella on top. I like the bars a little on the sweet side in the mornings when I enjoy them with my coffee.
If you are not a breakfast person, you can enjoy these Gluten-Free Pumpkin bars as a mid-morning snack or post work out snack.
I can’t have nuts. What other flour can I use?
This recipe was designed using almond flour. If you can’t have nuts you might want to check out my gluten-free pumpkin bread or my gluten-free pumpkin skillet cookie. One reader left a comment that she substituted the almond flour with equal parts oat flour and it was delicious.
What can I substitute for the eggs?
One of my readers used ½ cup applesauce and 2 tsp baking powder as a substitute for the eggs. You can also use flax egg, or chia egg just note that the bars will be wetter.
What is the difference between almond flour and almond meal?
Almond flour is typically made from blanched almonds which have had the skins removed, and is ground more finely than almond meal, which typically still contains the skins and has a more coarse grind. You can use either almond flour or almond meal in this recipe.
Are you a big fan of pumpkin baked goods? If so, you will most likely enjoy my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spiced Corn Bread, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes, and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Cake.
If you make this recipe please stop back by and let me know what you thought. Also, if you have a question leave a comment and I will get back to you.
Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened (or oil of choice)
- 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Optional: 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8″X8″ baking pan; set aside.
- Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Yes, it's that easy. You don't need to separate the dry and wet ingredients for this recipe.
- Pour batter into your prepared 8"X8" pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top starts to darken and the center is set (always start with the lowest time). Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Note: Big chocolate chips will sink to the bottom. If you don't want them to sink, sprinkle them on top instead of mixing them in the batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving:Calories: 150 Total Fat: 10g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 24mg Sodium: 171mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 9g Protein: 3g
Kim says
October 2, 2014 at 11:57 pmI made these pumpkin bars tonight and they look nothing like this picture. Very dry. Its almost like bread. Is there an ingredient missing in the list?
chrystal says
October 4, 2014 at 11:14 pmHi Kim,
That’s odd that they would come out dry. They should be moist, similar to a brownie. I’ve had a few others leave comments on FB saying they made them and they came out great. I double checked the list and all the ingredients are listed correctly. I also made them this afternoon, to see if I could figure out why they came out dry and they came out nice and moist.
Here are some possible reasons they came out dry:
– Almond flour was measured incorrectly (should be spooned into the measuring cup, then leveled).
– Almond Flour was frozen previously, if Almond flour is frozen, it tends to lose its moisture and absorbs more moisture when mixed with wet ingredients.
– Oven temperature is not showing the correct temp (if cooked at too high a temp, it will let out moisture faster).
– The two eggs were not medium/large eggs.
** I went ahead an adjusted the time down slightly – for the ovens that run hot. Always start with the lowest time and watch the oven.
I will let you know if I come up with any other possible causes.
Best,
Chrystal
karen says
October 12, 2014 at 11:11 pmThese bars are absolutely amazing! I just made them and they turned out very moist! Actually, this may be the best texture I’ve ever gotten on a gluten free baked product. It cut perfectly and tastes amazing. My 7 year old loves it. I love it and it even got a thumbs up and 2 pieces eaten by my husband who hates pumpkin. And the best part is my 7 year old basically made them! Thank you for the delicious and EASY recipe! I omitted the raisins because I was out.
chrystal says
October 15, 2014 at 12:35 amHi Karen,
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed them! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Anne Marie says
October 26, 2014 at 5:58 amI made these tonight, and they were delicious. I can’t eat eggs, so I used ½ cup applesauce and 2 tsp baking powder as a substitute for the eggs. (I also used the 1tsp baking powder for a total of 3tsp for the recipe. I cut these into 16 pieces and each bar is a perfect under-100 calorie snack.
chrystal says
October 26, 2014 at 1:31 pmHi Anne Marie,
What a great substitution! Thank you for sharing it as I’m sure others are interested in how to sub out the eggs.
Best,
Chrystal
Angela says
September 11, 2017 at 3:03 pmHi, would coconut flour work as a substitute for the almond flour?
chrystal says
September 11, 2017 at 3:12 pmI haven’t tried it with coconut flour yet. It would probably work, I don’t know the measurements though.
Best,
Chrystal
Sandy says
November 1, 2017 at 6:13 amDelicious! Finally a grain free “brownie” that came out moist and yummy! I substituted oat flour since my husband is allergic to almonds. Still came out perfect. Thanks!
chrystal says
November 1, 2017 at 6:14 amSo glad you liked them. Thank you for letting me know!
Best,
Chrystal
Anna says
November 10, 2017 at 5:51 pmThese are delicious! I wouldn’t call them bars; they are more cake-like. They are moist and so tasty. Also, I stirred dark chocolate chips right in, and they did not sink. The first time I made them, I placed the chips on top, and they hardly melted. Could depend on the oven? Not sure. By far and way these have the best ingredients for a treat like this, too. Pumpkin, coconut oil (who would use vegetable oil like in other recipes? Yuck!), and I used maple syrup instead of honey. Honey has a distinct flavor that I don’t like, and the maple syrup did not. Last, I used more like a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice on the 2nd batch. I learned a lot from the first batch! Thank you for such a delicious treat. I’m making them again Sunday for guests, and I think I’ll add a sour cream frosting on some of them!
Anna says
November 10, 2017 at 5:53 pmOops! I meant to say “cream cheese frosting” of course :-)! Not sour cream…
chrystal says
November 10, 2017 at 6:30 pmSo glad you liked them. They are a favorite of ours as well 🙂
Laurie says
October 14, 2018 at 4:36 pmWhat are the calories per serving on the bars?
chrystal says
October 16, 2018 at 12:27 amHi Laurie,
I don’t have the calories per bar calculated at the moment.
Best,
Chrystal
Patricia wWilliams says
November 9, 2018 at 5:07 amAmazing. Perfect with ice cream. They were done in 20 minutes. Sometime I might try making a double batch for two 8 inch rounds as a layer cake.
chrystal says
November 9, 2018 at 11:12 amHi Patricia,
Thank you so much for stopping back by and letting me know you like them! I’ll have to try one with ice cream next time, yum! 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Anna says
November 20, 2018 at 6:10 pmI cant find pumpkin puree in stores nearby. What happens if i use pure canned pumpkin . They look so scrumptious,cant wait to make them.
chrystal says
November 20, 2018 at 6:55 pmHi Anna,
Sorry for the confusion, canned pumpkin is the same thing as pureed pumpkin. Yes, you can use canned pumpkin.
Best,
Chrystal