It’s officially pumpkin season.
Let’s celebrate with some pumpkin bars, shall we?
Pumpkin bars are perhaps my very favorite way to enjoy this seasonal squash. They have the taste and texture of pumpkin bread, but they bake faster and are much more portable!
These moist, spiced pumpkin squares are bursting with Fall flavor, as well as a hefty nutritional punch. Pumpkin is a great source of vitamins A, C, K, and E, as well as lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron. Lightly sweetened with honey, no one will ever guess that these bars are grain-free, or that they’re any “healthier” than the traditional version!
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Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars
Fills one 8″ x 8″ pan
Adapted from this recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8″ x 8″ pan generously with coconut oil or butter.
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well until a smooth batter forms.
*Note: I like to use Pumpkin Pie Spice to make preparation as quick and simple as possible. This spice blend is widely available in most grocery stores, but you can also find it available online. If you’d prefer to use individual spices, I’d recommend using 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves to replace the 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Transfer the batter to the greased pan, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm.
Allow to cool completely in the pan, then cut and serve!
These bars are delicious on their own, but if you’re aiming to impress, glaze these bars with my Maple Pecan Glaze. (<–recipe here)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8″ x 8″ pan generously with coconut oil or butter.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well until a smooth batter forms.
- Transfer the batter to the greased pan, and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan, then cut and serve!
- These bars are delicious on their own, but if you’re aiming to impress, glaze these bars with my Maple Pecan Glaze. (recipe posted separately)
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: Are you a fan of pumpkin season? If so, what’s your favorite pumpkin dish?
I love this recipe! They sound amazing and are very different anything I’ve tried before! Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
These sound absolutely fantastic. Bookmarked in my folder of recipes I’ll be making now the temperatures are dropping…. Thank you!
Looks yummy. Thank you for posting this!
those look amaaazing. just wondering though.. why are all your baked goodies so heavy on the nut butters?
Hi Tanya! I prefer to keep my baking grain-free lately, so almonds make a great nutrient-dense substitute for flours, without sacrificing the texture of traditional baked goods. Almond flour can be a bit pricey, so I’ve been leaning towards using almond butter for convenience and accessibility.
Even if you cut these bars into 9 large squares, each one will contain less than a tablespoon of almond butter, which I don’t think is unreasonably heavy.
Looks delicious! Can you give us your tips for cooking the pumpkin in order to get the puree? Thanks!
I’ll work on a post about that, Anne!
Yum. These look so awesome!
I think I could eat that glaze all by itself! These are such a decadent treat….I’ll definitely have to try these out! I’m so happy to have found your blog and your delicious recipes. I’ve looked forward to reading it each day. I was wondering if you have a particular diet you follow (i.e. paleo, vegan, etc.). I noticed you don’t use grains in your cooking… Have a great day!
I think I have eaten that glaze all by myself.
In regards to diet, I don’t follow any particular plan. I’ve experimented with LOTS of stuff over the years (Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Candida-cleansing, etc.) and prefer to simply focus on eating whole foods that make me feel good. I’ve learned that I feel my best when I keep my meals fairly simple and properly combined, though that doesn’t always happen at EVERY meal.
Since cutting out grains earlier this year, I haven’t had much desire to add them back in. That’s not to say I’ll never have them again, but for now, I’m enjoying the grain-free baking!
I love anything pumpkin and usually make a lot of traditional pumpkin bread…can’t wait to try this version! Going to add chopped pecans into the batter and skip the glaze, although it looks yummy, trying to cut a few calories HA!
Mmmm… love the added pecans!
OOOOH, yum! I am so glad it’s pumpkin season! I could eat pumpkin every day. And, thank goodness it’s almost past zucchini season. Love it, but overdid it.
this makes me so excited for fall
pumpkin cravings already!
Can you replace the eggs with chia egg?
I haven’t tried that yet. Let me know if you do!
I can’t wait to try these – thank you for posting the recipe!
These look amazing, I can’t wait to make!! I may have to wait until the weather cools down to turn on the oven…it’s supposed to be 105 today, where is fall?!?
I’m anxiously awaiting Fall weather here, too! It was over 100 yesterday… ugh.
Oh! Thank you, thank you! I was hoping you would do a pumpkin bar recipe. Can’t wait to try them.
Just made this with banana instead of pumpkin and it was DELISH. Can’t wait to try it with actual pumpkin next time :]
The banana version sounds fantastic, too!
Great idea! I’m going to try that (can cut down on the honey then, too!)
I just made these Megan- they turned out so delicious!!! I just subbed stevia for the honey since I had none in the house- they turned out perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for letting me know!
These are absolutely amazing!
[...] The Detoxinista~Grain Free Pumpkin Bars [...]
These look delicious….can’t wait to give them a try!! I love all things pumpkin and have been indulging in pumpkin pancakes for a week now.
These bars look SO good! I’m a pumpkin fanatic. I actually stock up on pumpkin butter in the fall, so it will last me all year! I love anything with pumpkin, but my favorite dish is probably pumpkin bread pudding! I made one with a caramel sauce for Thanksgiving last year and it was SOOOO good!
BTW, I just stumbled upon your blog and I love it! All of your recipes look so good. I can’t wait to read more!
I absolutely love your site! I have made these bars ( they are cooling in. Y kitchen as I type this response ) and the almond butter freezer fudge (twice !) the frozen banana peanut butter bites, and the macadamia freezer fudge! Can u tell I love sweets! I love all the recipes and my favorite part is ” What I ate” Wednesday . I love seeing what other eat in a day, it inspires me to eat healthy and gives me ideas!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. I obviously love sweets, as well.
I just made these, and it never solidified. It is like a gelatinous pudding – tasty, but far from bars. Maybe it’s because I used flax as an egg replacer?
Yes, flax eggs have a tendency to have that effect in recipes calling for more than one egg. Glad they taste good, at least!
Holy Cow! We had these this weekend and they were absolutely amazing! I can’t believe how moist and delicious. I’m not a huge “crust” fan and I would easily substitute these for pumpkin pie any time…..
[...] it’s time to make pumpkin EVERYTHING. So far, I’ve made these pumpkin pie tarts, these pumpkin bars (both delicious) and now it’s time to incorporate some pumpkin into breakfast. Honestly, I [...]
What type of almond butter did you use? Raw? Roasted?
I usually use the raw version from Trader Joe’s, but I think roasted would work fine, too!
I tried these using roasted, salted almond butter from Trader Joe’s (what I had) and they were good, but I think they’d be better with the raw version as the almond butter flavor took over and you couldn’t taste much of the pumpkin flavor (the best part!) Megan, do you add salt because your almond butter is unsalted?
Yes, my almond butter is unsalted. Hope you get to try the raw almond butter version next time!
I am about a year into being gluten free, and only a few months into being grain free, and this was one of my first grain free baking experiments (and the first one that was successful…). I made them with banana like the commenter above, and I can’t believe how good they are–I thought I had given up eating things like this! I can’t wait to try with pumpkin, and your other recipes too! Thanks
I just made these! They are awesome, and so easy. You are a genius! Now we are going to make your peanut butter cookies. Charlotte and I are on a roll.
Hi Megan. I made these today but used a 6-count donut pan instead of an 8×8 pan and there were absolutely delicious! Surprisingly light and so dang, tasty, even without the yummy-looking topping. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I made this on Sunday and it was gone by Monday morning! I didn’t have almond butter so I used cashew butter instead and it turned out really well. I skipped the glaze and added dark chocolate chips instead
It was similar to your Peanut Butter Blondies only more cake-like and less “fudgy”. Both are my new favorite baked goods! Thank you!
I finally got around to making this (I never keep almond butter at home — don’t really like the taste on its own), using chunky almond butter, which actually added a nice crunch to the final product. I didn’t make any topping and just cut them into small squares for “freezer snacks.”
Hi Megan! I’m also a big fan of your website – I have a lot of food sensitivities so your recipes are a welcome change to the boring old stuff I’m used to. I was wondering if you’ve ever tried using white beans instead of almond butter for this recipe? I love it so much(and want to make it all the time) I was thinking using white beans might work similarly and be cheaper than the almond butter?
I don’t eat many beans, as they don’t seem to digest as easily in my system, but I’d love to hear if you have any success with trying them out! They’d definitely be an affordable alternative.
These look awesome! I was just wondering if you could use regular salt instead of sea salt 8)
Yes, I’m sure you can! Sea salt has slightly more “bang for its buck”– meaning less sodium and more flavor– but, I think regular salt will work just fine.
I made these bars a few days ago and they were awesome! We all totally loved them. Such a nice pumpkin treat for those of us who are grain free (and even those that aren’t!). Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Megan, thanks for this recipe. It’s the first one that led me to your site and now I want to make almost everything!
I made these and they were so good with the topping. I think I might triple or quadruple the recipe and make it into a layer cake! I think it would totally work! And I bet that would be sooo good with the banana version, too.
Keep posting; you’re my new recipe hero!
Thanks, Jen! I bet these would make an AMAZING layer cake!! YUM.
Mouthwatering recipes
Love your website!
Since almond butter is not a commonly used product here in the Netherlands and therefore hard to find/very expensive, I was wondering if it’s possible to replace it for regular (of course organic) butter?
Thank you!
No, butter will not work as a substitute for almond butter. Any other nut butters available to you? Peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, etc. would all work for creating a fluffy texture, though the flavor may vary depending on which you use.
Thank you for your reply and suggestions! Using peanutbutter sounds promising too
Though I have a softer spot for almonds, taste wise and health benefits and luckily in the meantime I came across your recipe for making your own almondbutter…. What a helpfull, delightfull and lovely website this is <3! Two big thumbs UP
Smelled fantastic baking, can’t believe there is no traditional flour. Awesome! I added chia to give it a little fluff and fiber. I made vanilla bean banana ice cream was delish! Great day in the kitchen with you, thanks for inspiration.
[...] be trying more of Megan’s variations on dessert. The recipe below is almost identical to this one on her blog, except that I swapped out the honey for liquid stevia, and used homemade cashew [...]
[...] ***As seen from The Detoxinista [...]
I just made these, and they are absolutely amazing. I had to sub baking powder for baking soda (just tripled the amount), and they were still fabulous.
Delicious! Thanks Megan for this recipe! It’s amazing
Although I wonder if I should refrigerate these? Hmm
I just made these with the leftover pumpkin puree I used for the pumpkin spice latte. They are AMAZING!!! I made the maple pecan glaze to go on top too. Yum!
Just had to say that I made these last night and they are TO DIE FOR! I will make them again and again. This is officially my new favourite site
I have multiple food allergies and am loving your sight! These bars were delicious! I took them to work and they were gobbled up while the lowly, gluten filled cinnamon buns were completely ignored lol. Question: I made the maple pecan glaze but it came out quite grainy and was more like icing. Still delicious but not beautiful glaze you managed to achieve. I’m still saving up for a Vita-Mix so I used a high-speed food processor. Would adding more coconut oil smooth it out a bit ?
Hmm… I’ve never tried making it in my food processor. I assume adding a little more liquid would help it blend better. Hope it works!
Is pumpkin pie spice the same thing as 5 spice? Thanks!
No, I think 5 spice has more pepper to it. Pumpkin pie spice is typically a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves (or allspice, depending on the brand).
These looks SO yummy…If I wanted to use almond flour instead of butter, would you recommend using more, less or leaving it at 1/2 cup?
I would double it! 1 cup almond flour = 1/2 cup almond butter.
Ok great, thank you! Going to make them now
Am counting calories, down 20 lbs, but would love to make this. How many calories in an 8×8 pan?
I recommend using a free calorie counting website, like FitDay.com, to calculate the calories in my recipes. Add in all of the ingredients, and you should be able to calculate the calories per serving from there!
AMAZING ! just made these my family loves them
Made these today and they turned out great! I made a few adjustments… didn’t have almond butter so I used pumpkin seed butter which worked quite well, I am allergic to eggs so I used 6 quail eggs instead, and then used raw agave syrup in place of the honey.
Delicious! Thanks!
thank you for a wonderful web site with amazing recipes, and details.
We made several of your grain free muffins and they were delightful.
Thank you
These are amazing! I think these are my new favorite grain free treat! I couldn’t wait to wake up this morning and have a pumpkin bar with maple pecan glaze and my cup of coffee…perfect fall morning! Thanks for a keeper recipe.
I have made these and the pumpkin muffins using cashew butter and sun butter (my son has a nut allergy) and they both work just as good. I LOVE all your grain free treats!!!!!!
How much liquid stevia would you use to replace the honey/do you need to increase the liquid in the recipe? Can you use chia egg replacer? Thanks?
The stevia amount is totally up to you– I usually add it by the dropperful, and taste the batter as I go. Make it a little sweeter than you think it should be, because some of the sweetness is reduced when baking stevia.
In my experience, chia and flax eggs don’t work well with brownies and bars. The result is gooey! I’d recommend trying Ener-G egg replacer instead. (I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard good things.)
I made these yesterday and they were gone within 24 hours. I ate the whole batch! Then I felt guilty but did not beat myself up too badly for doing so. Proceed with caution, highly addictive!
[...] Pumpkin Bars by Detoxinista [...]
[...] Bar Recipe: also found here. [...]
Hi! I made these and they tasted great but then this happened… We put the leftovers (about half the batch) in the fridge and the next afternoon the entire thing was dark green. Do we think I did something wrong here? I used sunflower butter instead of almond and did the spices individually but those were the only changes. I can’t think of what would cause that. Bad pumpkin? is that a thing?
It’s the sunflower seed butter! Sunflower seeds react to baking soda, making baked goods turn green. I’ve heard that it’s safe to eat, though! I was actually planning on using sunflower butter to make some green St. Patty’s Day treats next year.
Okay, that’s a kind of awesome fact to learn! I was tempted to taste it because nothing about it seemed “off” – it was just green (a perfect St. Patty’s shade btw) I always forget that baking, is much more scientific than cooking- much more possibility for reactions in stuff. Thank you so much for getting back to me!
[...] Pumpkin Bars [...]
I made these this weekend for a holiday party, and NO ONE THERE could IMAGINE that they were flourless! They came out PERFECT and EVERYONE was blown away!
Amazing recipe…and proof that when you know what you’re doing you can have both HEALTHY and DELICIOUS!
Sounds terrific. Shall try this.
Just made these as a trial because I need to take a dozen of something to a concert reception. They are great! And I’m so glad to have something tasty to serve as a healthy alternative to all the junk they will be serving. Thank you!
can i use peanut butter instead?
If you think you will like the peanut butter + pumpkin flavor, then go for it!
Can I get the nutritional facts for the Pumpkin Bars? Esp. the sugar and fat gms.
Thanks!
You can use a free website, such as FitDay.com, to calculate any nutrition information you might need. Simply add in all the ingredients and divide by the number of servings to calculate each bar.
Dear Megan,
I love your blog and your recipes. And I should never open this page if I’m hungry
I tried this and few other deserts and I loved them all. And I found do it your self butters very useful.
Thank you for your effort, here I find some true culinary inspiration.
Best regards from southeast Europe.
This is the 3rd batch I’ve made of these and I can’t get enough. I did note that on my 3rd batch, I actually mixed everything in my new VitaMix blender and it made all the difference in the finished product. While the first 2 batches were absolutely delicious, they did have a “pie filling” texture and consistency. When compared to the 3rd “blenderized” batch, it gave me the unbelievably perfect, moist and spongy bar you want. I can’t believe how delicious and addictive they are! Thank you Megan!!!
I just made these and they are SO yummy!
Awesome recipe that’s for sure!
I was SO SO SO glad to run across your website tonight. I was looking at a “healthy dessert blog” that was anything but to me and really bothering me. I made these tonight. (Okay, the hubs did for me..) and they were so delicious. I made them with peanut butter, and you couldn’t taste the pumpkin at all, which was fine with me. VERY yummy. Thanks for the great site!
[...] Pumpkin Bars with a maple frosting [...]
I made a batch of these and took them with me to share with family in Berkeley over Christmas. I whipped up the maple glaze and we ate them warm with coffee one morning – everyone raved about them! You are a genius!
Hi. Do you have nutritional information for this recipe? It is really good and I’m just curious on calories, carbs, etc.
Thanks!
Please see my FAQ regarding nutritional info: http://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
[...] Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars Adapted from Detoxinista Serves [...]
I made this and it is delicious. I posted pics on Instagram. It’s one of my keeper recipes. I’m planning to try your morning glory muffins tomorrow with goji berries instead of raisins.
I made this with squash instead of pumpkin and they turned out just great (and my family hates squash)! They were delicious and we alll could hardly believe that this was grain-free. Yummy!
My 5 year old son and I just made these & ate the entire pan within 10 minutes. Yikes! Great recipe– thank you much!! Have been craving pumpkin bars yet not a fan of all the sugar and flour. Love that these are properly combined as well.
)
WOW, very nice! I made this tonight & had it for dessert.
I am so in love with the Maple Pecan Glaze! Simply amazing!
Thank You!!
Just made these pumpkin bars with the maple pecan glaze over the weekend. Absolutely delicious. It is hard to believe they are grain free. And, list others’ posts have mentioned the maple pecan glaze is to die for. You are talented!
i just made these and they are fantastic! i cut them up and put them in the freezer and they are perfect. i just take it out a few minutes before wanting to eat it. i didn’t even try the glaze and i think they are perfect!! thank you!!!!!
I made these last night and they were delicious! I haven’t had a pumpkin desert since going gluten free several years ago. Thanks for the great recipe! I didn’t use the maple glaze. That would probably make them even more delicious.
Just made these last night and they are amazing! Even my daughter asked for a second one… And that is without the maple glaze! The consistency is perfect – a cross between pumpkin bread and the filling in pumpkin pie. Delish!
Hi- I love your recipes, but some of them, like the ‘Maple Pecan Glaze’ and others, will not open for me. I have Windows 7 and can access most of your site.
Hmmm… I have no idea why that would happen! It’s working perfectly fine for me in Firefox, so I’d recommend trying a different browser or clearing your browser’s cache, so see if that helps. I’m not a tech-wizard, so re-starting a computer or browser is usually my go-to solution!
Hi
So glad I found your blog! I am trying your pizza recipe tonight and want to make these as well but do not want to use honey. How much trivia or xylitol would u recommend? I am confused because I will be substituting with dry ingredients. Thank you!
Unfortunately, I can’t comment on how to modify the recipes if I haven’t tried it myself. You’ll have to experiment and let us know if you have any success!
I can’t wait to make these but I am wondering if anyone had had success with an egg substitute so we can make these vegan. Would love any suggestions!
Oh my god!!!! these took me to heaven! Mine also turned green because I used sunbutter, but they are sooooooo soft and tasty! Used 50g of dates made into a paste with a little soaking water instead of honey, they added just the right amount of sweetness, maybe even too sweet for my taste. Also added home made unsweetened dark chocolate chunks to it, and whipped up a banana-pumpkin-cocoa-yogurt cream to top it. I devoured half of the whole batch for my first and second breakfasts…
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Cheers from Hungary,
Noémi
These are sooooo good. Made them and doubled the recipe so it was higher cake and it was superb. Very moist. I didn’t even make the glaze. Didn’t have to!! Be careful they are addictive!
I love these and have been making them for awhile. We are in a tight financial state right now so I increased the pumpkin to 3/4 cup and reduced the almond butter to 1/4 cup to save on costs. It works out great and makes them even more moist. My chidren have been gobbling them up. Our family is on a Candida cleanse right now and so many of your recipies have been helpful and made it easier to get through. Thanks so much.
I am vegan so I used a sub for the eggs. I eat VERY clean. If you eat super clean I do not recommend this recipe. They are unimaginably oily with the maple glaze. I’ll put it this way..my stomach is making so many noises I absolutely will not leave the house now. I’m just way to clean for this one due to the amount of oil.
This are soooo delicious!! The texture is wonderful & as you said, no one would ever guess that they are grain-free or a healthy food. I’m so happy to have this recipe & look forward to making them again & again. I love that they mixed up in the time it took the oven to preheat!
I made these yesterday with orange sweet potatoes (my Caribbean heritage men’s that I grew up with the white variety!), as I didn’t have pumpkin and they were SO delish, especially with that wonderful glaze! Lots of love from London Town! Five stars!
Means, not ‘men’s’
[...] another yummy slice recipe that is a stayer is this lovely, light grain-free pumpkin bars. No photo from me, as it got eaten before I could take out my camera but so simple and [...]
[...] Detoxinista’s Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars [...]
These are absolutely delicious!! I am new to the grain free world and was wondering what I was going to eat. I found your website through a search on almond flour. Thank you for all of these delicious recipes!
These are simply amazing! Oh my goodness! I could eat the whole pan and the sauce myself! Hubs absolutely loves it, and says it’s one of the best desserts I’ve made! Thanks so much for sharing! Now to figure out the calorie count to see if consuming half the pan will be that bad… hehe
Just saw your post regarding nutritional information! I don’t normally count calories either actually, but these are so good I guess I just wanted some “control” over my intake haha. Thank you again!
Hubs wants a seconds already!
Do I need to do anything special to substitute maple syrup for the honey?
Have you heard anything about the rumor that honey is not good for you when it is heated?
Thanks!
we said, “WOW!”. The best dessert ever! Well, there’s always chocolate…what a great treat. I doubled recipe today. Used a 9 x13, took 10 min. Longer.
We live out in the sticks and I have to get creative with ingredients pretty often.I’d like to make these for Mothers Day but if I used a natural peanut butter would those flavors combine alright? Or if I used a homemade pecan butter would that add too much oil to the bar?
Wow, these pumpkin bars are to die for.
Thanks for sharing, i will definitely be trying out this over the weekend.
Megan,
I’m always skeptical when it come to “clean” eating, but I made these bars today (05/17/13) and all I can say is WOW!! They are delicious. I am excited to try may of your other recipes since I am going completely dairy, soy, gluten, corn, and peanut free; di you know that peanuts are not a “true” nut, they are legumes.
Do you by chance have any nutritional value on these and the maple glaze?
Thank you for the delicious recipes,
Lori
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Please see my FAQ regarding nutrition info: http://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
A winner again Megan. And we didn’t even like pumpkin pie:-). I ran out of honey so subst. with half maple syrup half coconut sugar and it is stunning! No need for a glaze this is just so more-ish and like this rests easy on the weight conscience…
I just made these with 1/4 cup agave instead of honey and they came out perfect.
Thanks again Megan.
I love this recipe too, and make little muffins out of it for my daughters lunch box, just the pain of making almond butter that makes it harder than it needs to be, but then i rathre make my own almond butter than have to pay the price in the shops for a small little jar. Any non dairy substitute ideas for the almond butter?