Whip up these easy, 10-ingredient pumpkin pie bars! With wholesome ingredients and a grain-free crust, these paleo treats taste amazing and are a hit with even non-paleo eaters!
A healthy spin on pumpkin pie bars
Pumpkin pie in bar form? Yes, please! These pumpkin pie dessert bars are everything you love about the classic fall treat—but even easier to share (or keep all to yourself!). Made with wholesome ingredients, the creamy, spiced pumpkin filling sits on a simple cookie crust made with crushed store-bought grain-free and gluten-free cookies, refined coconut oil, coconut sugar, and a smidge of salt for that perfect sweet-salty balance. It staves off that pumpkin craving without the need to make a traditional pie crust!
A hit with non-paleo eaters!
And guess what? These bars are a hit even with picky teenage boys (a.k.a., my son’s pals) who don’t eat paleo. In fact, they loved them! With the perfect blend of cozy spices and just the right amount of sweetness, these bars are great for Thanksgiving or whenever you need a pumpkin spice fix without all the fuss. Plus, they’re super portable—ideal for potlucks, road trips, or sneaky midnight snacks. Just make sure you make enough, because they’re going to disappear fast!
Ingredients
Grain free and gluten free cookie crust
- Grain-free cookies: I use Simple Mills Honey Cinnamon Sweet Thins cookies, but you can substitute your favorite gluten-free graham cracker cookie.
- Coconut sugar: Adds an extra smidge of sweetness to the crust and is a good replacement for brown sugar.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: The balance of salty and sweet in the crust is a must, so don’t leave out the salt! If you end up using Morton’s brand kosher salt or sea salt, use about half the amount of salt.
- Melted refined coconut oil: To bind the paleo graham cracker crust, I use melted refined coconut oil because it doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor. If you aren’t dairy free, feel free to substitute melted ghee or butter.
Pumpkin pie filling
- Canned pumpkin puree: I like using Libby’s brand the best.
- Canned full-fat coconut milk
- Large eggs: Before you ask: no, I haven’t tried using an egg substitute in this recipe, so I don’t have a suggestion for what to use in place of eggs. If you do, let me know in the comments!
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds just the right hint of fall flavors, so I don’t recommend using a different sweetener.
- Pumpkin pie spice blend
- Vanilla extract
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Whipped coconut cream or whipped cream (optional topping)
How to make pumpkin pie bars
Heat oven and line the pan
Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle.
While the oven is heating, grab an 8 x 8-inch metal square baking pan and line it with parchment paper. You don’t have to line the pan with parchment paper (you can grease the pan instead) but I prefer parchment for ease of removal and cleaning.
There are many ways to line a square baking dish with parchment paper, but here’s my method. Grab a pre-cut parchment sheet that fits an 18 x 13-inch pan and fold the sides so it fits in the square pan. Then, cut the folded edges (in four spots) so the paper can fold easily into the pan.
Next, tuck parchment paper into the pan and trim off the extra parchment on the sides.
Finally, I fold over the side flaps and it’s ready to use!
Make the cookie crust
Dump the cookies into a food processor…
…and pulse until fine crumbs form.
In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, coconut sugar, salt, and melted coconut oil…
…and mix well until it looks like wet sand.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the parchment lined baking pan…
…and press it into an even layer with a spatula or offset spatula.
Bake the cookie crust in the oven for 6 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned.
When the cookie crust is finished baking, place the pan on a wire rack and cool the cookie crust to room temperature.
Make the pumpkin pie bar filling
Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s steaming but not boiling. (You can also microwave it in a glass measuring cup until steaming.)
Grab a large mixing bowl and add the eggs and maple syrup. Mix well with a hand whisk or hand mixer until thoroughly combined.
Then, in a slow and constant stream, add the warmed coconut milk to the egg and syrup mixture, a little bit at a time, and mix vigorously. Don’t be impatient and add the hot coconut milk all at once or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs! (Pro tip: put a silicone trivet or damp kitchen towel under the bowl so it stays in place).
You should end up with a creamy, uniform mixture.
Next, add the pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice blend, vanilla extract, and salt to the egg mixture.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Pour the creamy pumpkin filling into the pan with the cooled cookie crust.
Bake the pumpkin pie bars
Pop the pan in the oven and bake the pumpkin pie bars at 375°F for about 45-50 minutes.
The pumpkin pie bars are ready when the filling is puffed, dry looking, only slightly jiggly in the center, and has a few cracks on the edges. You can double check if the filling is done by using an instant-read thermometer and checking that the filling temperature is 175°F.
Cool the bars
Before serving the pumpkin pie bars, cool them in the pan to room temperature on a wire rack, about 2 to 3 hours.
Transfer to a cutting board and cut into sixteen even squares.
Serve as-is…
…or top with whipped coconut cream, if desired.
How to save leftover pumpkin pie bars
Got leftovers? You can store these paleo pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and they’ll stay just as delicious. If you want to save some for later, pop them in the freezer where they’ll last for up to 4 months.
To thaw, simply move them from the freezer to the fridge and let them sit for several hours or overnight. This slow thawing process preserves the bars’ texture and flavor, so that when you’re ready to serve, they’ll taste almost as good as when they were freshly made.
More healthy pumpkin recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Make the cookie crust
-
Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the middle.While the oven is heating, grab an 8 x 8-inch metal square baking pan and line it with parchment paper. You don’t have to line the pan with parchment paper (you can grease the pan instead) but I prefer parchment for ease of removal and cleaning.
-
In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, coconut sugar, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and melted coconut oil, and mix well until it looks like wet sand. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the parchment lined baking pan and press it into an even layer with a spatula or offset spatula.
-
Bake the cookie crust in the oven for 6 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. When the cookie crust is finished baking, place the pan on a wire rack and cool the cookie crust to room temperature.
Make the pumpkin pie bar filling
-
Heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it’s steaming but not boiling. (You can also microwave it in a glass measuring cup until steaming.)
-
Grab a large mixing bowl and add the eggs and maple syrup. Mix well with a hand whisk or hand mixer until thoroughly combined.
-
Then, in a slow and constant stream, add the warmed coconut milk to the egg and syrup mixture, a little bit at a time, and mix vigorously. Don’t be impatient and add the hot coconut milk all at once or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs! You should end up with a creamy, uniform mixture. (Pro tip: put a silicone trivet or damp kitchen towel under the bowl so it stays in place).
-
Next, add the pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice blend, vanilla extract, and salt to the egg mixture. Whisk until evenly combined.
-
Pour the creamy pumpkin filling into the pan with the cooled cookie crust.
Bake the pumpkin pie bars
-
Pop the pan in the oven and bake the pumpkin pie bars at 375°F for about 45-50 minutes. The pumpkin pie bars are ready when the filling is puffed, dry looking, only slightly jiggly in the center, and has a few cracks on the edges. You can double check if the filling is done by using an instant-read thermometer and checking that the filling temperature is 175°F.
-
Before serving the pumpkin pie bars, cool them in the pan to room temperature on a wire rack, about 2 to 3 hours.
-
Transfer to a cutting board and cut into sixteen even squares. Serve as-is or top with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
Got leftovers? You can store these paleo pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and they’ll stay just as delicious. If you want to save some for later, pop them in the freezer where they’ll last for up to 4 months. To thaw, simply move them from the freezer to the fridge and let them sit for several hours or overnight. This slow thawing process preserves the bars’ texture and flavor, so that when you’re ready to serve, they’ll taste almost as good as when they were freshly made.
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: -31.996g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin C: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
