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Indulge this holiday season with these healthy and gluten free Flourless Pumpkin Bars! So moist and comforting, this easy fall treat is perfectly spiced and finished with a sweet maple glaze.
The more pumpkin treats, the better! That’s what I always say. Especially when they’re healthy, sweet, and made with easy ingredients.
I’ve completely fallen for these naturally gluten and dairy free Flourless Pumpkin Bars. Not only are they made in one bowl, but the ingredients are super simple and perfect for those who aren’t looking to over do it with the holiday desserts. They also freeze well so you can enjoy them all season long or bring them along on a trip to the pumpkin patch.
Speaking of healthy pumpkin recipes, I think you’ll also get a kick out of my pumpkin pie overnight oats and creamy pumpkin hummus. Because who says you can’t eat pumpkin for every meal?
Recipe features
- No flour needed! These bars are completely flourless, gluten free, dairy free, and paleo (without the glaze).
- Each bite is super smooth and moist without needing any oil.
- A healthy fall treat that tastes like pumpkin pie filling!
Ingredient notes:
- Pumpkin - The canned stuff! Make sure it’s plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Almond butter - Creamy, all natural almond butter is best!
- Egg - Most flourless recipes call for an egg to help bind everything together. A flax egg, mashed banana, or ¼ cup of applesauce may work as a vegan replacement, but I haven't tried it myself.
- Sugar - The natural sweetness from maple syrup and coconut sugar add the right amount of sweetness. These give the pumpkin bars the best flavors but you can use agave syrup, honey, and white sugar instead.
- Pumpkin pie spice - Use store-bought or make your own. All you need is ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Keep it in your cupboard to use in pumpkin cakes, pies, and more!
- Maple glaze - This sweet decoration is made with maple syrup and powdered sugar. Keep the pumpkin bars paleo by drizzling maple syrup on top and omitting the sugar.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make the batter, then bake. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a bowl before adding the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Pour the batter into a prepared dish and bake.
Step 2: Let them cool. When the bars are set, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the dish.
Step 3: Make the maple glaze. Whisk the maple syrup and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. Drizzle it on top of the cooled bars, then cut into small squares and enjoy!
Expert tips and FAQs
- Is the glaze too thick? Stir in ½ teaspoon of syrup to thin it out.
- Is the glaze too thin? Add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until it’s as thick as you like.
- For faster cooling, place the baking dish with the freshly baked bars in the fridge.
- Mix fun add ins into the batter like chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped pecans or walnuts, or shredded coconut.
Can they be made vegan?
The egg is the only ingredient you need to replace to make the flourless pumpkin bars vegan. Try swapping it for a flax egg, mashed banana, or ¼ cup of applesauce.
What else can you use to decorate them?
Top the bars with maple glaze or plain maple syrup, more pumpkin pie spice, whipped cream (or coconut whip), shredded coconut, chopped nuts, or maple tahini syrup.
Storage
- Refrigerator - The bars store well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - Freeze the finished bars in a layer on a baking sheet. When they’re frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Paleo treats
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Flourless Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup almond butter creamy
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or use cane sugar or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
for the glaze:
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang for easy removal; set aside.
- Next, whisk the pumpkin, egg, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Then, add the sugar, pumpkin spice spice and baking soda and stir until the mixture it smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place it into the oven and bake the bars for 30-35 minutes or until the center has set.
- Remove them from the oven and transfer the dish onto a cooling rack. Let the bars cool completely before removing them; for faster cooling, transfer the dish to the refrigerator.
- Before serving, make the maple glaze: whisk maple syrup and powdered sugar together, then drizzle it over the bars.
- Slice into 9 large or 16 small bars and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This post was originally published in September 2015. It was updated with new text and photos in September 2021.
