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These Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars are made with protein-rich almond flour and are naturally sweetened with low-glycemic coconut sugar for a healthier Fall treat. They’re totally irresistible!

gluten-free pumpkin bars made with almond flour

When it comes to gluten-free and grain-free baking, it’s challenging to make recipes that are egg-free, as well. I wanted this recipe to work well for my vegan readers, so I tried several substitutes using my original Paleo Pumpkin Bar recipe. (If you can eat eggs, that one is a fan favorite!)

The best egg substitute I have found so far when working with almond flour is using a bit of tapioca or arrowroot starch. These options are both grain-free and provide just enough binding to help the bars hold together without eggs.

They won’t rise as much as a bar made with eggs would, but the result is just as delicious! (And ultra-moist.)

It took me seven attempts to get this recipe right, so I don’t recommend making too many substitutions with this recipe without expecting drastically different results.

vegan pumpkin bar batter made with almond flour and no eggs

When you reduce the sugar or use almond meal instead of blanched almond flour, they become a little too moist in the middle. If you omit the coconut oil, the bars become a bit more “sticky” and challenging to slice, and if you add more tapioca or arrowroot starch they become “gummy” in texture. So, experiment at your own risk.

For those of you who need a nut-free option, I’d suggest trying my Vegan Pumpkin Bread recipe baked in a square pan for another gluten-free alternative. I hope you’ll enjoy them!

stack of vegan almond flour pumpkin bars

Vegan pumpkin bars

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars (Vegan!)

4.80 from 15 votes
SPECIAL TREAT  |  Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Vegan
These gluten-free pumpkin bars are made with almond flour (and no eggs!) for a healthy vegan treat. They're moist, naturally sweetened, and taste amazing! 
prep10 mins cook35 mins total45 mins
Servings:16 bars

Ingredients
 
 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. 
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. 
  • Add in the pumpkin and coconut oil and stir well until a thick, moist batter is formed. (It will feel crumbly at first, so keep mixing until it's thick and uniform.) 
  • Transfer the batter to the lined pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly into the pan, smoothing the top. Bake until the top feels firm to a light touch, about 35 minutes. 
  • Let the bars cool completely before slicing into them, as they are very fragile when warm. They will firm up when they cool, so you may even want to place them in the fridge to speed up the process. Slice and serve as is, or top them with a dairy-free frosting for a more decadent treat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1190IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
Per serving: Calories: 128, Carbohydrates: 11, Protein: 3, Fat: 8

almond flour pumpkin bars with vegan cream cheese frosting

For a frosted vegan pumpkin bar, try this Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. (Pictured above!)

Recipe Notes:

  • If you use almond meal (ground almonds with skins) the results are a little more moist and mushy, but the bars still taste good! If you want to use coconut flour, try my Coconut Flour Pumpkin bars, and if you want to use buckwheat flour, try my Vegan Pumpkin Bread recipe, instead.
  • I used a granulated sweetener in this recipe to help keep the bars from getting too moist (they are already VERY moist as written!), so I’m not sure that a sweetener like honey or maple syrup would work as a sub. Maybe date paste would work, but I haven’t tested that myself yet.

As always, if you make a modification to this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know what worked for you, so we can all benefit from your experience.

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite Fall dessert? 

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Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. These were seriously delicious! I was out of coconut sugar so used 1/2 cup of white sugar. I also mixed the dough in my food processor since it sounded like it was going to be really thick — that worked like a charm. I pulsed the dry ingredients together first and then added the wet. I portioned 3 tbsp into each of my silicone muffin cups and that worked great too (it made 11 muffins). Topped with the vegan cream cheese frosting and I was in heaven.

  2. This was an awesome recipe. I subbed arrowroot with tapioca, also used pumpkin spice and it came out perfect.
    It’s like eating pumpkin pie.

  3. These were AMAZING! I made them tonight and I’m not sure they will last til morning because they’re so good! I added some vegan chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness and they worked perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe!

  4. May I ask why baking soda and not baking powder? What is the acidic ingredient that would react/neutralize the soda in this recipe?

    1. I just made this recipe and it came out perfectly, not crumbly at all. Cooled quickly (I used a metal pan), and it cuts smoothly and tastes delicious! I also realize the baking soda probably reacts with the possible acidity in the pumpkin puree?

  5. Made this with 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of sugar — plus about 10 drops of Stevia. turned out fantastic! And actually a little on the sweet side for my tastes. Thanks for a great recipe! (Oh, and I used the almond meal.)

  6. These were delicious! I have made them several times with great success. This last time around I noticed my pumpkin puree was quite dry, so I subbed maple syrup for the coconut sugar to add a bit more moisture. I typically make a vegan buttercream on top and the result is reminiscent of cinnamon rolls:-) For the buttercream I mixed: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup vegan butter, and 1 tablespoon almond milk.