I rarely have the patience to prepare a pie crust.
Which is why I’m in love with these pumpkin bars.
I actually wasn’t so in love with them at first, because they are almost too moist. But they taste just like pumpkin pie, so I couldn’t help but keep snacking on them! The texture actually reminds me of pumpkin pie filling, but these bars are just firm enough that you can pick them up with your hands. I think they’ll be the perfect alternative to a traditional pie in our home this year!
My husband and I keep finding ourselves picking up a piece here and there as we walk by the kitchen, so be warned– they disappear fast! I hope you and your family enjoy them just as much.
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Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bars
makes one 9″x9″ pan
Adapted from this recipe
Ingredients:
15 oz. pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
Butter or coconut oil, for greasing the pan
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9″x9″ baking dish well with butter or coconut oil. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir well until no clumps remain. Transfer the batter to the greased baking dish, and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. Store in in the fridge for up to a week. (They’re delicious straight out of the fridge, too!)
Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 15 oz . pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- butter or coconut oil , for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9"x9" baking dish well with butter or coconut oil. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir well until no clumps remain. Transfer the batter to the greased baking dish, and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
- Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. Store in in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Substitution Notes:
- Coconut flour is unique, and therefore I don’t have any good substitutions to offer you. If you’d prefer a nut-based pumpkin bar, I highly recommend using this recipe instead.
- Please feel free to share any other substitutions you try in the comments below!
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: Are you a fan of pie crust? My family has always made crust-less pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving each year, but our pecan pie always has crust!
This looks great! To make vegan…what would you use to replace eggs? Thanks
Going to try making these with flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg) as I have an egg allergy. Looks awesome!
I would love to hear how this works out for you! I want to try using flax eggs as well.
Oh my goodness , I made these last night the only subsitute was I did not have the spices so instead I added 1 1/2 tsp of Pumpkin Spice.
They were moist and yes did taste like Pumpkin Pie, crustless
Yummy!!!!
This is a good egg substitution site:
http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/
but I used applesauce and yogurt in place of the eggs and it fell apart a little, so it might take some tinkering. Maybe a banana for egg?
If you want to make any coconut flour recipe without egg the most successful replacement is Bobs Vegan Gluten Free Egg replacer. However it is only successful in recipes that require 3 or less eggs. Cakes that need 4 to 6 eggs turn out as mush after cooking.
I made these squares with Bobs Vegan GF egg replacer and they were perfect. I also swapped the maple syrup for 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/4 cup honey. I HATE maple EVERYTHING
These are really tasty! I just pulled them out of the oven. The house smells so good. They are the perfect treat for the freezing weather we are having in Minnesota today (25 degrees!). I love all your recipes. Thanks so much!!
Katie
I love making pumpkin bars like this! Althought mine are usually stevia sweetened and include a banana and more eggs. I will definitely try your version now!
What substitute can I use for the eggs? I’m allergic and also vegan 🙂 Thanks! Can’t wait to try these!
Chia seeds can be substituted usually for eggs. I can’t remember the ratio though so you’ll have to Google that one.
You can see how to make flax or chia eggs here: https://detoxinista.com/recipes/how-to-make-flax-eggs-or-chia-eggs/
I haven’t had the best luck using vegan eggs with coconut flour recipes, though. They usually turn out very mushy!
Do you think these would work if I used a mini muffin tin instead? My young boys love anything if its in the form of a mini muffin!
I’m sure they would turn out perfect- you would just need to lower the baking time quite a bit. My guess would be they would be done in 15-20 minutes- but it depends on the size of your muffin tin and how much you fill them 🙂
These look delish. Is there anything I can substitute for maple syrup, dates or honey?? I am thinking of having these as an after workout snack so was looking to bump up the protein. Has anyone tried putting protein powder in, I have a nice organic one but not sure if it will change the texture and taste??
I would love to hear some ways to add unflavored protein to recipes/baking to up the protein content. I have a big bag of Natural Sun Warrior Protein powder that I bought, I thought it was beyond disgusting so I pushed it on to the hubby who tolerates protein WAY better than me. Well he pushed it right back to me and said it’s not palatable no matter what he does to it and has since moved on to another raw vegan protein powder we had in the line-up of testers. So I’m stuck with trying to find a way to use this stuff up that tastes at least decent. I don’t want to just throw it out because it was pretty pricey.
Megan, have you ever tried baking with yours??
April, gelatin is not only a decent egg replacer, but healthy for you if you get the Great Lakes brand (which comes from grassfed cows). Use that for extra protein. You could even use it in addition to eggs – just sprinkle the powder in and don’t mix with water.
Another protein increase: instead of greasing the bottom of the dish, you could pan fry 1 cup of pecan halves in butter or oil (this is what I did) and just lay them in the bottom underneath the recipe. When I make this again, I will chop the pecans a bit before adding into dish.
I hate to say it because I look at unfermented soy with wary eyes, but… you could add tofu to this recipe if you tolerate soy.
I use 1/2 cup coconut flour with 1/4 cup hemp protein powder unflavored and it turns out great.
All of the good protein powders are pricey. Some are more easily digestible I think.
I found a brown rice protein powder that doesn’t have much taste or texture when added to a recipe.
I have used it mainly in breakfast smoothies for the protein content and have never had an issue with digestion.
It can be used in cooking recipes and can be substituted in any recipe that calls for rice flour (I would try half the rice flour and half the brown rice protein powder and see how the recipe turns out before adding more. Rice flour recipes are gluten free which helps me with the stuffy bloated feeling when I eat moderate portions.
The brand is “Growing Naturals” “Organic Rice Protein (Original flavor). The label says that it is vegan, gluten free, whole grain, allergen friendly, 100% natural, and as good as whey. It is also NON GMO, USDA Organic Verified, and low on the glycemic index. There are 24 grams of protein in each serving or scoop which equates to approximately 34 servings in a 32 oz container (2 lb).
I’m guessing that it is about 2 scoops per 1/4 cup which would add 48 grams of protein to your total recipe. If adding 1 cup protein powder in your recipe (8 scoops) and your recipe makes 10 servings that would add 19.2 grams of protein per serving if my calculations are correct.
I get it online to save some money from Vitacost for about 34 dollars or 19 for the 1 lb jar. They often have free shipping over 50 and they have lots of things to choose from if you want to up the total and get free shipping.
I soaked some dates and puréed them and it’s worked out perfectly. I added in quite a bit of the date water though otherwise it was too dry ?
I’m drooling over these right now girl!!
Hi Megan,
Is this snack correctly combined? I was wondering because I thought that pumpkins are a starch and eggs a protein.
Thanks 🙂
No, it’s not. I’d consider it a special holiday treat. 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Just made these tonight! Delicious!
mmm yummy! I’m on GAPS and pumpkin is allowed yay. However, maple syrup is not. Do you think it will taste okay without the sweetness? Erin xx
Is honey allowed? You could sub out with honey instead if it is. Out of curiosity, do you happen to know why maple syrup isn’t allowed? I don’t know much about the GAPS diet obviously. 🙂
Erin, I made it with 1t honey and 1/2t pure stevia powder. Stevia is allowed, and honey is a kinda/sorta, depending how far along you are on GAPS. You could just do all stevia if you want (google conversion rate).
*Note: Removing 3/4c of moisture from recipe (syrup) in favor of stevia/dab of honey will change the texture to be more like bars and less like pumpkin pie.
Stevia powder is not allowed on GAPS. Honey is allowed and can be consumed during Intro. In fact Dr. Campbell-McBride recommends mixing equal parts honey and coconut oil/ghee and consuming a tablespoon to combat low blood sugar during Intro.
Stevia leaf in its pure form is allowed, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking with ground up stevia leaves.
I believe she keeps a list of allowed/disallowed foods on the gaps.me website.
Have you tried this coconut flour before:
http://www.drvita.com/p-14956-Nutiva-Organic-Coconut-Flour–3-lbs.aspx?catargetid=1920411439&cadevice={device}&gclid=CIfbuYSx3roCFSzZQgod8isAvQ
It’s cheaper than the one you linked and seems to be equal in quality, but I’m looking for more opinions before I commit.
Nope, I haven’t tried that one! Let us know if you like it!
I love a good pumpkin bar and these look delicious! I can’t wait to try them!
THESE look like “the ticket” to a grain-free pumpkin pie treat for me this Thanksgiving…Alas…I am one of the bonafide CRUST FREAKS…and if I didn’t have the carb & gluten concerns…I swear I would ONLY eat crust…to me it is the very best part of any tart, pie or quiche…
Not a fan…however…of the gajillion recipes out there for nut-heavy, medjool date heavy pie “crusts”…they are simply way too heavy..and do not have that magical quality of breaking into a million “shards” when one bites into them!
This looks delish! I made one very similar to this yesterday but used apple butter in place of eggs and stevia to lower the sugars, but the texture you described sounds identical to mine. I love them and have been keeping mine in the freezer and letting them thaw. They seem to hold up better and taste sweeter this way. Either way, I just adore coconut flour and love seeing how others use it! Great recipe!:)
This looks yummy! Although I do not stock coconut flour so might have to improvise. And I just noticed Elana’s Pantry has a very simple paleo pie crust recipe. I could go either way on pie crust, but sometimes it adds a nice backdrop.
I would like to ask how to make the pumpkin puree. Do I out it raw and mix it or do I have to cook it first?
Here’s a tutorial: https://detoxinista.com/2012/11/how-to-roast-a-whole-pumpkin-homemade-pumpkin-puree/
Is there an alternative to the maple syrup you’d recommend? My preference would be to use stevia but I don’t know what else to add to help keep the consistency and texture. Please advise.
I bought a Lankto maple syrup made with Monk fruit 0 carbs 0 sugar I picked it up at Ross.
Hi I would love to make these but I’m with Ellie as to a replacement for the maple syrup..Any help would be appreciated
Just made these- yummy! Thanks for another great recipe
these sound super good…but i’m waiting for the coconut flour brownie recipe!
Yummers! I’m always looking for good coconut flour recipes. I made these today, cooled them in the fridge and tried with some whipped cream I had on hand….mmm. Basically healthy (crustless) pumpkin pie! Oh and I actually decreased the amount of maple syrup and added some water + liquid stevia to decrease the sugar but maintain the sweetness.
Hope, I have used that trick with the maple syrup/stevia before in other recipes with good results. Glad to know I’m not the only one! I will have to try it here too!
can alomond flour be substituted for coconut flour?
Nope! I’d recommend working with my almond butter pumpkin bar recipe instead: https://detoxinista.com/2012/09/grain-free-pumpkin-bars/
Typically, you can sub 1 cup almond flour for 1/2 cup almond butter.
Made this over the weekend– DELISH!
how sweet are these? my boyfriend likes drier and not very sweet desserts. for those of you who have tried these, do you think 1/2 cup of maple syrup would be okay?
I halved the recipe and it was delicious! I agree with you, these bars are quite moist, but I like them that way. I’ve been eating them with plain yogurt. Perfect fall treat! Thank you Megan!
I just made these, since I had cooked a garden pumpkin the other day. These were really fast to put together and baked up just right! Lots of flavor, but also light, not heavy! Thanks for this recipe and all the other recipes we’ve tried.
5 Stars for this recipe. AWESOME! I made a sample batch before Thanksgiving, but they didn’t last. Was more than happy to make another. Everyone loved these. I will make these for holidays from now on. I love that you can have your pumpkin pie (minus the crust) in the form of bite size bars. Thank you for this recipe. Love, love, love.
TOTALLY LOVED THIS RECIPE!!!! Thank you!!
Instead of 3/4 cup of maple syrup, I used one ripe mashed banana, plus enough maple syrup (maybe 1-2 TBSP) to equal a total of 3/4 cup. (Couldn’t bring myself to use that much expensive maple syrup.) I also added more coconut flour because I didn’t want them quite as moist as pumpkin pie. And… I was under a time crunch, so I baked mine at 375 for 35 minutes. They were good, as far as taste, and had the moisture of … a light brownie (?) instead of pie. Next time I will still use the banana to keep these budget-friendly, but I won’t add extra coconut flour. Thanks for the recipe! I’m always looking for good coconut flour recipes, because I seem to have a sensitivity to nuts. I didn’t completely follow the recipe, so it wouldn’t be fair for me to rate it.
I follow the Whole 30 eating plan and can’t have the maple syrup. I omitted that and substituted raisins instead to add some sweetness–they tasted great!! I think next time I may try to add natural applesauce and see what that does.
Wow, this was so good. I didn’t have enough real maple syrup, so I used agave and macadamia nut syrups to make up the difference. Baked it in a pie dish and cut it into 8 pie-shaped pieces. Excellent recipe!
I can’t imagine using 3/4 cup of maple syrup in a recipe. Who needs that much sugar? It might be natural, but it’s still sugar. I used 2 Tablespoons syrup, and about 1/6 cup of Xylitol. They were plenty sweet. I like the idea of adding raisins instead, though.
How do you measure coconut flour for your recipes? Packed, or sifted/spooned into measuring cups, etc?
Love the website, and love this recipe! Even posted it on my own blog:http://blissfullyhomemade.blogspot.com/2014/05/pumpkin-pie-bars.html Have never been a fan of pumpkin pie, but these are fantastic 🙂
I made a few additions/substitutions. I used 2 flax eggs (because flax is great for ya), I added salted pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and hemp hearts. I also wanted a bit firmer bar, so I added just a bit more coconut flour. Oh, and a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg; it felt right.
The results? A FANTASTIC GF healthy snack full of protein, fiber, and omega 3’s that even my picky daughter asked for seconds!
just threw these in the oven. we cant have maple syrup right now and i tend not to like honey in things so we used xylitol sugar. hoping it turns out!
How much Xylitol did you use? I have lost 96 pounds & don’t want to use all that maple syrup in any recipe!
I am really bummed. I followed this recipe exactly and my bars came out very dry. What am I doing wrong? The mix before it was in the oven was quite dry, but since I followed it all correctly I kept my faith. Any suggestions for next time?
My guess is that it had something to do with how you measured the coconut flour– even an extra teaspoon could make the results more dry, so be sure to use a knife to swipe off any extra from the measuring cup for a level measurement.
Great recipe however, little dry – can I improve their moistness?
If we don’t have allergies could we substitute the coconut flour for regular AP flour??
No, I’d look for a recipe that calls for regular flour if that’s what you’d prefer to use– coconut flour is way too different!
Mine turned out horribly wrong. Like a cake, a cake that taste strictly like coconut flour. Aghhhh I wanted pumpkin pie like treats so badly too.
How did you measure the coconut flour? It needs to be a level measurement to work properly, so you need to swipe the excess flour off the measuring cup with the back of a knife. Even an extra teaspoon can make the recipe turn out differently.
It’s way too dry and just tastes like the flour. Need to add nut butter or something to moisten it. NOT a good recipe
I was also looking for something that could replace breakfast or pre/post work out so I went ahead and gave it a try upping the protein and making these with no added sweetner.
I replaced the maple syrup with unsweetened applesauce (1/2c or snack pack),
I added two egg whites in addition to the two eggs,
Added 2 TBS gelatin (red can great lakes)
Added 4 scoops of Naked Whey
Reduced the coconut flour to 2 TBS
Added 1/4c shredded unsweetened coconut
These were a very solid start. Since there’s no sweetener it lacked a little flavor and would definitely be lovely with some of that maple syrup. I may try upping the spices quite a bit, vanilla extract, maybe some orange zest and more salt to try to boost that flavor profile and may nix one or both of the egg whites in favor of just an extra egg and maybe drop the protein powder to 3 scoops. They were nicely browned on the outside and firm which will make them great for car travel but still had a ‘spongy/moist’ interior.
From my ingredients and calculations these had about 180 calories, 5 fat, 16 carb and 20 protein for 1/4 of the entire recipe.
Megan, do these FREEZE well? I would like to make extra. Thanks!!!
Would honey work instead of maple syrup?
Can’t wait to try this recipe (I’m just not a maple syrup fan!!)
Thanks 🙂
Just made these as mini muffins…moist and delicious…only had half a can of pumpkin…made about 12….delicious…thanks for a great recipe
WOW. Okay, let me first explain my situation: I am a 16-yr-old inexperienced-yet-aspiring chef with gluten and dairy allergies/intolerances, and I am always eager to find a dessert or treat recipe that’s healthy (my sweet tooth is raging). So, as a lover of using coconut flour for its nutritional benefits and flavor, I went on a search for healthy dessert recipes using coconut flour – and found this recipe. I decided to try it although I didn’t have any maple syrup at home, so I used a little bit over 1/2 cup of honey (about 5/8) and added a small amount of water, probably about 3 tablespoons, to the batter in place of the maple syrup. The result was absolutely phenomenal! I wanted to eat the entire pan all at once! They were so easy to make, had almost the exact texture and taste of pumpkin pie, and held together well. Plus, they’re all-natural and healthy! I can’t say enough how much I love this recipe; seriously, it’s worth trying! Thank you!
These bars are AMAZING! Just made them, and didn’t have cloves, so I just decreased the ginger by 1/4 tsp. and added in 1/2 tsp of nutmeg. Thanks, Megan!
I would try it..but maple syrup is expensive
After reading the comments, I used 3/4 cup half applesauce/half maple syrup instead of the entire 3/4 maple syrup. I wanted the distinct flavor of maple, but w/o so much sugar. And I used my own pumpkin pie spice mixture for the spices. And I also made them into mini-muffins, as they’re so portable.
They were simply amazing. I will make and eat these all year.
I cannot have the typical gf flours, as I cannot have rice or potatoes, and I was beyond thrilled to find this recipe using only coconut flour. Thank you so much!
These are simply AMAZING! I’ve used half maple syrup & half natural applesauce & I’ve also made the exact recipe–both are great & there’s not much of a noticeable difference. Thank you for this healthy recipe that tastes just like pumpkin pie w/o the crust!!
These are fucking delicious. I ate the entire pan myself.