Healthy Pumpkin Bars are made without flour or refined sugar, and are surprisingly light and fluffy! They are one of my favorite grain-free desserts for the Fall, and once you taste them, I think you’ll fall in love with them, too.
Inspired by my Paleo Banana Snack Cake, this recipe uses almond butter instead of flour. It’s amazing how when you pair it with eggs and a little honey, it becomes quite cake-like!
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in healthy pumpkin bars?
- Almond butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Eggs
- Honey
- Pumpkin pie spice
If you don’t have almond butter on hand, cashew butter also makes a similar substitute. I’ve tested this recipe using peanut butter, and the results aren’t quite as delicious, because the peanut flavor competes with the pumpkin flavor too much.
For best results, I recommend using a “raw” or non-roasted nut butter, for the most mild flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
1. Mix. Combine the almond butter, pumpkin, honey, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, and stir until very smooth.
Once the batter is mixed, add in the vinegar and stir again. You’ll notice that lighter swirls will start to appear as you mix, and that is the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar.
This will help the bars rise even better, and will help to avoid an aftertaste from the baking soda.
2. Bake. Pour the mixture into a lined or greased 8-inch pan, and bake at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes.
When the pumpkin bars are done, the center should rise, without jiggling in the middle when you shake the pan.
3. Slice. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, then slice into squares and serve right away.
These pumpkin bars are lightly sweet on their own, but I like topping them with a quick maple pecan glaze for an extra-special dessert. To make it, you just need to blend a few ingredients together!
This glaze is naturally sweetened and will NOT set like one made with powdered sugar, so it’s best to drizzle it over the bars right as you serve them, with a few chopped pecans on top.
They taste so impressive this way!
Pro Tip: For an even deeper flavor, swap the water in the Maple Pecan Glaze for black coffee. The maple coffee flavor is also excellent on these healthy pumpkin bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swap the sweetener? This recipe should work well with a 1/2 cup of maple syrup to replace the honey. II’ve also tested it with 2/3 cup of coconut sugar, but the texture changes slightly when you swap a liquid sweetener for a granulated one.
I don’t work with zero calorie sweeteners, so I don’t know how this will work with a sweetener like stevia.
Can I make this vegan? Try my Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars recipe, for an egg-free recipe that is already tested for you.
Or try my Vegan Pumpkin Muffins, if you prefer to work with oat flour.
Can I make pumpkin puree from scratch? Check out my how to cook pumpkin tutorial, for the easiest way to make pumpkin puree at home!
More Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for more pumpkin inspiration? Try these!
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts
- Oat Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Overnight Oats
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Maple Pecan Glaze
- 3/4 cup pecans , plus extra chopped for serving
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup water (or coffee)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, almond butter, honey, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda, and stir until very smooth.
- Add the vinegar into the batter, and stir again. The batter will have lighter swirls in it, from the baking soda reacting to the vinegar. This will help the bars rise and remove any baking soda flavor in the final bars, so keep stirring until the batter looks uniform. Pour into a greased 8-inch baking dish, lined with parchment paper for easy removal later.
- Bake at 350ºF for about 35 minutes, until the bars rise in the center and don't jiggle when you shake the pan. Cool completely, then slice and serve.
- To make the optional Maple Pecan Glaze, combine the pecans, maple syrup, coconut oil, water, vanilla, and salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the blender as needed. You can add a tablespoon of water, as needed, to help it blend. Pour the glaze over the bars, and serve right away with chopped pecans on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these healthy pumpkin bars soon, please leave a star rating and comment below letting me know how you like them!
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Reader Feedback: Which Fall dessert would you like to see next?
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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! 🙂
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: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
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!
Got to try the squash and banana versions. They sound fantastic!!!
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. :o)
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.
What type of substitute did
you use instead of the eggs?
The Gluten Free Girl
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’ 😉
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: https://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?
You can use sunflower seed butter or soy butter. (I use a kind called wow butter). Hope this helps.
Hi Megan,
Can you use this recipe as a pudding?
Thanks,
The Gluten Free Girl
I’m not sure what you mean by that… like a bread pudding? Or you want to not bake it, and eat it as a pudding?
Hi Megan,
Someone mentioned that they made the bars and it turned out a bit like a gelatinous pudding. Can Serve it like that?
Thanks,
The Gluten Free Girl
They shouldn’t turn out like a pudding, but if for some reason they do, they’d still be perfectly delicious!
I have a party tonight what should i make, Megan?(something from your blog).
Sorry,meant Can I serve it like that
Hi Megan,
Can I use homemade caramel instead of the maple pecan glaze as I am allergic to nuts?
Thanks,
The Gluten Free Girl
PS.Five star recipe
these were delicious….but, how do I get my glaze right? I’m here in Houston and the coconut oil is either rock hard in the fridge or completely liquid in the pantry, so my glaze was runny, even after I put it in the fridge to thicken up. How does one keep the coconut oil ‘softened’? Also, I’m eating baked goods daily from recipes on this site that I’m eating more sweets via maple syrup and honey than I should! Has anyone experimented with dissolved dates as a sweetner as a way of reducing the honey/syrup? (you put them in boiling water with a bit of baking soda and wait until the whole thing is a gooey, sweet consistency…would be a good sub for brown sugar).
If I store the glaze in the fridge, I usually let it soften-up by placing it on top of my oven while it’s warm. You could also briefly place it inside the oven until it just starts to melt around the edges, then stir it well to soften the whole batch.
I’ve never tried working with date syrup as a honey replacement, but let us know if you have any success!
Made these with homemade pecan butter instead of almond butter and they were delicious and so simple too 🙂
I am looking forward to making these, I love the simplicity of them! I am vegan so I was wondering if it would work with “egg whites” (made from boiling water with 1/3c of flax seeds) since it has an almost identical texture as egg whites. I’m curious to know your thoughts on this before I try, you seem like a pro at this healthy baking!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! The cake turned out to have a very light cake-like texture and tasted amazing. Instead of the pecan glaze, I served it with whipped coconut cream. Love your blog – keep up the good work!
Wow, these look great with the maple glaze! I linked to your recipe in my post for Honey Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bars (Dairy Free)
http://www.thealmondflower.com/2013/09/honey-pecan-pumpkin-pie-bars-gluten.html
So excited to make your recipe- perfect for Fall 🙂
xoxo
Mollie
Yummy recipe Megan! I baked a batch of these last night and they were good, BUT, they tasted even better today.
These were so good. Shared with my Facebook group and several were excited to visit your blog.