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Paleo pumpkin bars filled with pumpkin and spice! These little squares of heaven taste just like pumpkin pie! And they’re paleo:) Which means they’re gluten-free, refined sugar free and dairy free. They taste like fall in a bite and are topped with a light maple frosting you will be drooling over.
Do you love paleo desserts? Try paleo brownies, paleo pumpkin bread, or paleo molasses cookies next.
Welp, it’s here. Fall baking and pumpkin season is here. I had my first PSL yesterday and it was everything I remember it being.
However I did get it iced because it was just under 1,000,000 degrees yesterday. And it was so spectacular and flavorful just like our homemade iced pumpkin spice latte.
We had the most lovely Labor Day weekend. I got to watch one of my very good friends get married and then celebrated my grandma’s birthday with my entire mom’s side of the family. I paused for a moment while we were grilling out yesterday afternoon and looked around at everyone to appreciate how happy and healthy everyone was.
The littles moments sometimes take up the biggest parts of our heart❤️.
What we love about paleo pumpkin bars
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s pretty straightforward.
- No special tricks or difficult steps, you just mix it all up and put it in the oven.
- So much pumpkin spice flavor.
- Everyone loves them. Even if they don’t eat paleo, they’ll love these healthy pumpkin pie bars.
I’m usually the one to bring the desserts to the gatherings but because I was coming from the wedding celebrations out of town I didn’t have time to create anything for the soiree. I would have loved to bring these Paleo Pumpkin Bars!
My mom went gluten-free about two years ago after a doctor told her that there’s a chance it would help the symptoms of her arthritis. And it worked!
The gluten-free diet helps regulate the swelling in her joints so she eats gluten free as much as she possibly can. Because these bars are made with almond flour and coconut flour they’re perfect for her!
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for these paleo pumpkin pie bars. Jump down to the recipe card for the full instructions.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Almond flour: this comes from blanched (peeled) almonds. Do not use almond meal, which has the skins on.
- Salt, baking soda, and baking powder
- Pumpkin pie spice: for extra pumpkin pie flavor.
- Pumpkin puree: not pumpkin pie filling! This is just canned pumpkin
- Almond butter: you could also use another nut butter like cashew butter. Note that peanut butter is not paleo.
- Coconut oil: use refined coconut oil for less coconut flavor.
- Coconut sugar and pure maple syrup: for sweetness
- Vanilla extract and nut milk like almond milk
Looking for more paleo pumpkin recipes? Try vegan pumpkin cheesecake, paleo pumpkin coffee cake, or paleo pumpkin chocolate chunk blondies.
And lucky for me (and maybe you!) he approves of these pumpkin bars!
These paleo pumpkin bars are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and the bars taste so much like pumpkin pie.
It’s kind of not fair how yummy they are. They taste like they should be filled with sugar and salt and butter and everything in between. But they aren’t! It’s so magical.
When the cold weather hits all I want is pumpkin everything and savory recipes to celebrate the season. But the additional pounds to keep me warm? Not so much. Anyone feel me on this one?
You just bake, chill and frost! Wait until the bars are completely cooled before you begin frosting. Then chill again to allow them to set!
I cut mine in to pieces after throwing them in the freezer for 15 minutes. It made the layers clean and perfect.
And absolutely delish.
Annnnd go. Get your pumpkin on!
Storage Instructions
Allow the carbs to cool then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
More Pumpkin Treats
Paleo Pumpkin Bars
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Ingredients
Paleo Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups almond flour packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Maple Frosting:
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter, plant based butter, ghee or coconut oil softened
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper then lightly grease it and set aside.
- Combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Whisk together the melted coconut oil, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and almond milk until well-combined. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until center is set. Bars will be slightly moist. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes then place the bars in the pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few days.
- While the bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut flour and beat will until combined, about 2 minutes.
- When bars are completely cool, remove them from the pan and cover them with the frosting. Chill in the refrigerator again for 15 minutes. Cut and enjoy! Or keep in the refrigerator for up to one week or in he freezer for one month.
AMAZING bars!!! They turned out perfect and delicious. I will definitely be making these again!!
Thanks Carly!!!
Tried these for the first time and they were incredible!! I followed the instructions step by step and had no problems. Thanks Molly!
Just tried them out today…so delicious! They’re soft and pumpkin spice delightful!
I added 2 eggs to the batter and it turned out very moist. I added maple butter to the icing and topped with chopped pecans. Pretty good!
Forgot to add I used Imperial margarine for the icing my son can’t have coconut. I put icing ingredients in food processor and it blended well.
These sound delicious! Can you add nutritional info? Can’t wait to make these!
Hello Molly,
This recipe is outstanding! My husband and I enjoyed it a great deal. The only glitch I had was preparing the frosting. It would NOT blend together. I thought about the proportions of ingredients and realized it would not be enough to cover the bars, so I added 1 1/4 CUPS of almond flour (didn’t have coconut flour) instead of 1 1/4 Tablespoons. Much better…..the frosting mixed together like frosting should. Thanks again for sharing your recipe. YUM!
Can I sub the coconut flour in the frosting recipe? I don’t have any on hand.
Thanks!
You could do use tapioca or arrowroot flour! What all do you have on hand?
Can I sub something else for the coconut flour? I don’t have any on hand.
These were delicious….but something seems to be off with the ingredient measurements for the frosting. I ended up throwing away my first attempt (with coconut oil) and trying again with butter but got the same results. I had to add quite a bit more coconut flour in order for it to absorb the liquid and get the consistency of frosting.
As someone on SCD, I can’t have baking powder. Can it just be left out, or do I need to substitute with something else?
Hi Patty! Are you able to use baking powder? If so, I would substitute the baking soda for 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Let me know if that works!
Hi Molly, What would you suggest for the almond flour? I can’t tolerate the almond so looking for a good substitute that’ll have the same consistency (oat, quinoa, or coconut? Have you tried any of those? )
Thanks for any input!
Hi Carolyn! I haven’t tried this recipe with any other type of flour, but I’d recommend a mixture of coconut flour and tapioca flour. Because coconut flour absorbs so much moisture you can’t equally sub it out for almond flour in recipes or it will turn out very dry. Because of that I’d try this:
3/4 cup coconut flour
1 1/4 cup tapioca flour
add 2 additional tablespoons of coconut oil
add an additional half cup of pumpkin puree
I love to use coconut flour when I’m baking so I’ll definitely have to give this a try. If you try it first please let me know how it turns out:)
Thanks!
Molly❤️
Thank You! I’m definitely going to try this!
I made these for a bunch of paleo skeptics.
WHAT. A. HIT.
These were phenomenal! I’ve been asked to make them again for Christmas. I followed your recipe to a tee and it turned out as the best paleo baking recipe I’ve ever made.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Julia! You have no idea how happy that makes me! I’m SO glad you and everyone liked it—even the paleo skeptics! I recently made these for a large group and no one even knew they were paleo. The kids were going crazy over them!
Getting ready to make these – What size can of pumpkin?
Hi Annette! I’m so sorry I missed your comment. You can use a 15 ounce can. I used the 15 ounce can of Libby’s Pure Pumpkin. You won’t use the entire can, just a cup! I like to use the leftover pumpkin in smoothies and oatmeal. Thanks!
Are those nutritional facts for all 12 servings or 1 bar?
Hi Rachel! Those are for one large bar.
Should the finished baked part be cooled on a rack, so take it out of the lined pan? When?
The picture shows a baking rack with the cooked part befire it’s frosted, but instructions do not mention it. Please advise. THANK YOU!
Hey there! Thanks for asking:) The image in here has the bars completely done sitting on a cooling rack, sorry that may be confusing! I cooled the bars completely in the pan and put them in the fridge while I made the frosting. I pulled them out once they’re completely cooled so I could frost them easier. Hope this helps:)
Yours look so amazing! I tried but mine came out very dry, they still taste good. I’ll have to try it again!
Thanks!!
Sorry to hear that, Amy! Please let me know if you have any questions or give it another try.
Mine are dry as well. I was so excited to find these but am disappointed. I usually just use a recipe as a guide but I followed this to a T and still didn’t turn out.
That’s a bummer to hear, Desirea! I’ve made this recipe countless times with no issues and have seen several people’s turn out well on Pinterest! The batter should be very wet and the bars are almost like pumpkin pie filling. How you measure the flour could be a factor. I’m working on uploading a video to go with this post so you can see what it supposed to look like! That might help!
Is that suppose to be a 1/4 TSP instead of tablespoon of cinnamon in the frosting?
Yep! Proofreading fail at its finest:) I updated the recipe. Thanks!
I added protein powder to the main mix and added a little more pumpkin and liquid. Turned out great:) thanks
You’re welcome! What a great idea, I’ll have to try adding protein too:)
Could you please post the nutritional facts on the bars? Thanks!
Hey Natasha! I just added a nutrition label to the post. It’s under the ingredients and directions. Let me know if you have any questions!
Do you have the nutritional value on these? Thanks!
I was so excited to read this, but then I saw it has ghee in the frosting. With a casein allergy, that is not dairy free. So sad. Any alternatives?
Hey Mari! You can definitely sub the ghee/grass fed butter for coconut oil. Any fat that’s solid at room temperature will work.
These look delicious! I was a little scared when the photo labeled garlic powder but I checked the recipe & am super excited to try it!
Thank you ☺️
I have a casein allergy and can have ghee. Ghee is clarified butter so it has all of the protein removed.
Has anyone doubled this recipe? If so, what size pan should I use? I’m cooking for a crowd for Halloween and want to make 1 pan. Thanks for the recipe — it looks wonderful!
Hi Cindy! Thanks for reaching out and for your sweet note:) I haven’t tried doubling this recipe, but you should be able to use a 9×13 pan without a problem. I would just pay extra attention while they’re in the oven because the pan size can affect the baking time. Start watching it at 35 minutes and check the center with a toothpick to see if it’s set. The bars should be moist (like pumpkin pie) but not too undercooked where they won’t set. Let me know how it turns out!
Did the doubling work OK? Making these for Thanksgiving and would be easier to just do the 9X13. Sometimes I get nervous doubling paleo recipes. Sometimes they don’t come out
Hi Stacy! Sorry, I haven’t doubled it yet or heard back from Cindy. But I think it’s a safe bet to double it using a larger pan. Just start checking around 30 minutes for doneness. I’m making this for Thanksgiving as well:) Hope it’s a great one with you and your family!
Doubling the recipe worked great! They were done around 35 min. The butter frosting however did not. I have no idea what happened there, but it was way too buttery tasting and the maple didn’t combine in well. I ended up just making whipped cream for on top and that was great!!
I would like to try a double batch, too.
The batter is way too dry. I couldn’t even cook it and wasted a ton of ingredients
These look incredible!!!! Do you think I can sub coconut oil for the butter/ghee? I can’t tolerate dairy at all. Fingers crossed!!
Hey Lydia! So glad you think so. Yes, you can sub coconut oil for the butter/ghee:) Any fat that is solid at room temperature would work here! So coconut oil is perfect. Just don’t melt it! Please let me know how it turns out.
xo
Molly
Hooray! Thanks so much, I will definitely let you know!
Can’t wait to make these. Thinking it will be a perfect dessert for our church LifeGroup. 🙂
Thank you!
You are so welcome! Love that idea! I actually made these for my church group a couple weeks ago and everyone loved them. Can’t wait to hear how they turn out:)
These pumpkin bars worked out great! Not sure if most could appreciate them, but one person asked for the recipe. Thank you.
I’m going to make these again today to bring to a Thanksgiving Day brunch. 🙂
WOW do these bars look amazing or what! As a lover of all things pumpkin, I can’t wait to be able to bake recipes with it. These bars look super moist and decadent, no one probably knows that they are healthy!
Thank you Bethany! I’m a pumpkin lover too:)