Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars are the best healthy pumpkin dessert! Just like classic pumpkin pie, in a bar! Paleo, gluten free and dairy free – these are great for a fun fall treat or the holidays.
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We love all things pumpkin around here. From Pumpkin Chicken Chili to Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecakes, we will add pumpkin to pretty much anything.
We even rounded up these 30+ Healthy Pumpkin Recipes, because you really can’t have too much pumpkin.
So many of you have enjoyed our Healthy Apple Crumble Bars that it only made sense to create a healthy pumpkin pie bar recipe too!
If you’re searching for other Holiday Recipes – check out these 50 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes!
These taste just like the classic pumpkin pie while being totally paleo, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and lower in sugar.
Note: This recipe is a bit more involved than compared to our other recipes – but it’s well worth the extra time! I think you’re going to love them!
Ingredients for Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars
To make these healthy pumpkin pie bars you’ll need:
- ghee
- eggs
- coconut sugar
- almond flour
- tapioca flour
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin puree
- maple syrup
- salt
- spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, all spice, and nutmeg
Almond flour is perfect for baking because it’s super versatile. No matter what allergies or dietary preferences your family and friends have they can enjoy this.
It is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, sugar free, grain free and fairly low carb when compared to white flour. You can’t substitute the flours in this recipe. See the green box below for notes on substitutions.
We recommend making these in a metal 8×8 baking pan.
How to make Healthy Pumpkin Bars
To make these Pumpkin Bars first we’ll make the crust.
- Mix all of the crust ingredients together with a fork.
- Press the dough into the pan and bake for 10 minutes
- While the crust bakes – make the filling.
- Pour the filling into the parbaked crust and bake for 40-45 minutes or until no longer jiggly.
- Cool completely then cover with plastic wrap. You want the plastic wrap to touch the top of the pie bars and make a nice seal. This helps a skin not to form on your pie.
Serving Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars:
These Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars are best made 24 hours in advance of when you have to serve them. They need a few hours to cool.
Serving: We recommend serving these chilled with whipped cream, powdered sugar, or a dusting of cinnamon. You can also add all three for a delicious treat 🙂 Feel free to sub in dairy free if necessary. These bars are also great plain!
Serving Size: I divided this into 9 pumpkin pie bars, but you can also cut them into 16 if you’d prefer smaller pumpkin pie bars.
Substitutions for Healthy Pumpkin Bars
You guys know we love to provide you with substitutions for recipes, but sadly – this just isn’t one where you can make substitutions. If you make these bars as is you’ll wind up with perfect gluten free, paleo, healthier pumpkin pie bars – but if you make swaps you may wind up with a mess!
Baking pan: This recipe was tested in both glass and metal baking dishes. Metal conducts heat far better than glass so it got done quicker. You’ll also notice some cracking if you bake it past the just set stage. This is fine and doesn’t affect the flavor at all.
Flour: I don’t recommend other flours for the crust, especially coconut flour. The crust is a tried and true formula of almond and tapioca. The tapioca provides a binder along with the egg. We tested this with coconut flour and the bars fell flat.
Eggs: You can’t substitute eggs in this recipe. They are essential for the taste and texture. If you need an egg free pumpkin bar – check out this Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bar Recipe
Ghee: Ghee was used for flavor. We don’t recommend coconut oil for a swap for two reasons -you don’t get that cookie flavor if you use it, and it also is really greasy. Grass fed butter, regular butter (if not paleo) are all fine subs for the ghee.
Maple Syrup: We haven’t tried substituting maple syrup for honey, but I think it might work. I can’t be sure without testing it!
Coconut Sugar: The coconut sugar is swappable 1:1 with brown sugar if not paleo.
Doubling the recipe: I haven’t tried doubling this recipe but I’m sure it would work in a 9×13 pan.
Spices: You can replace the spices with 1 tablespoon of regular pumpkin pie spice.
Making into a Pie: I haven’t tried making these bars into an actual pie. I don’t know how it would turn out. We recommend this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie recipe for a whole pumpkin pie!
I mean… don’t you just want to take a bite?!
How to store paleo pumpkin pie bars:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Bars should be stored in the refrigerator. I keep them in the pan with plastic wrap pressed to the tops to avoid a film. They will last in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Heating: If you like warm pumpkin pie just heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing these pumpkin bars but I think they would freeze well in an airtight container.
We hope you love these pumpkin bars just as much as we did!
Other healthy dessert recipes:
If you’re looking for other healthy desserts check out these 55 Healthy Christmas Recipes or 30 Healthy Holiday Desserts
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ¼ cup ghee melted and cooled
- 1 egg
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray or line with parchment. We recommend a glass or light aluminum pan over dark nonstick pan to prevent the crust from getting brown while baking.
- Mix all of the crust ingredients together with a fork. The mixture will be a smooth dough, but a little looser than traditional dough.
- Moisten your hands with water and spread it out into the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Pour into the parbaked crust and bake for 40-45 minutes or until no longer jiggly.
- Cool completely then cover with plastic wrap. You want the plastic wrap to touch the top of the pie bars and make a nice seal. This helps a skin not to form on your pie.
- Refrigerate for 7-8 hours or over night.
- Serve chilled with coconut whipped cream, powdered sugar and a dust of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Priscilla says
So delicious! My non-sweets eating husband devoured these and asked where the recipe came from and if I could make them again! Love how they only require a handful of ingredients.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Priscilla!! So glad your husband enjoyed them 🙂 Thanks for the most beautiful photos for these!
Patti says
I don’t have tapioca flour but I do have tapioca starch. Would that be a suitable substitute?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Tapioca flour and starch are the same thing! Feel free to substitute.
Kerri says
These pumpkin pie bars were absolutely delicious. As the substitutions suggested, I used regular butter rather than ghee in the crust, and it came out great. Tasted just like pumpkin pie; would definitely make again!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Kerri!! Thank you so much!!
Suzie says
These are so yummy and easy to make! I am not very confident in my baking abilities but these were so easy! I shared them with my co-workers and everyone loved them!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Glad you liked them, Suzie! Thank you!!
Erica says
So so so soooooo good! I can’t recommend enough! I was going to take them to work to share but I ended up having to make another batch because my family ate them all that night. I can’t wait to make these again for thanksgiving.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them, Erica! Thank you so much!!
Christie says
We have almond and coconut allergies in our home. Can I just sub with wheat flour and reg sugar? Also, what can I sub for tapioca flour? We don’t usually have that, but I can get it if really necessary. Thank you! This looks so good!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Christie – there is no substitution for tapioca flour. It’s necessary for the crust. I can’t recommend any other ways to adjust this – I’m sorry!
Melissa says
Absolutely loved these!!! I am so intimidated by baking and they were super easy!! Can’t wait to serve them at thanksgiving!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked them, Melissa! Thank you so much for giving them a try!
Abby says
These were AMAZING!! I may or may not had eaten them in one sitting 😂
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked them, Abby! Thank you!
Helen says
What does someone use if they have a nut allergy and can’t do the almond flour?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Unfortunately you can’t substitute it. I wrote this in the post: I don’t recommend other flours for the crust, especially coconut flour. The crust is a tried and true formula of almond and tapioca. The tapioca provides a binder along with the egg. We tested this with coconut flour and the bars fell flat.
Summer says
So delicious! Made these tonight and they were enjoyed by all. Really wasn’t hard to make at all. I worried at first I should bake the crust more but decided to follow the instructions and they turned out amazing. I used parchment and was able to pull it at out of the pan and slice and show off those beautiful layers. Not too sweet, great consistency, and tasted so much better than pumpkin pie.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked them! Thank you so much!!
Mary says
The pumpkin bars were so delicious and easy to make. They will definitely be a go to for dessert again.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you liked them!
Jeanne Dilling says
These were amazing! I made them for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them! Awesome recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Jeanne!
Lauren says
I was skeptical make these (and feed them to my husband) but they came out awesome and were easy to make. Definitely a keeper!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you both enjoyed them!
Mandy says
A Thanksgiving must!
Yanhel says
I made these for Thanksgiving 2021 and can’t wait to make them again this year!!!
Linda says
These pumpkin pie bars are delicious😋. Better than pumpkin pie.