These flourless pumpkin pie bars are so tender and fudgy that you’d never know they’re 100% healthy and made with NO flour, butter, oil, or refined sugar!
I’ve been dreaming about these flourless pumpkin pie bars. Quite literally.
I tested so many batches of them over the past few days, that I had a dream the other night where I was whipping up another one. Too bad it wasn’t one of those prophetic dreams that would have told me exactly what kind of ingredients I should have used to make them. And too bad it didn’t come a week ago. Or maybe it did and I just didn’t remember it. Either way… it would have saved me a lot of frustration.
See, pumpkin, for how tasty it can be, is also a huge pain in the ass to work with. It’s not so bad in things like breads and muffins, where its high moisture content means a nice moist crumb, but in things like cookies and bars? Night.mare. A cakey, spongy nightmare.
But I’m not quite ready to talk about it. It’s too soon. The scars too fresh. Instead, let’s talk about the winning batch, and how it [almost] made me forget about the four failed batches that came before it…
Actually, I can’t even call them failed batches since they all tasted really good – it was just the texture I was fighting with.
And the most annoying part is that I wasn’t even really sure what I was after, or what it was that was bothering me about every batch that came out of my oven… they just weren’t it.
I knew I wanted something that resembled pumpkin pie filling, but wasn’t as goopy or custard-y.
Something more grab-able, with a slightly lighter and fluffier texture that still melted in your mouth.
Something like… this!
So batch #5 was basically everything I didn’t even know I wanted. It was it… which is a good thing because I probably would have thrown in the towel if it wasn’t. I mean, I’m stubborn as a mule, but even I know when it’s time to stop beating my head against the wall and just walk away.
Thankfully it didn’t come to that, and I got to walk away [from my kitchen] with a batch of ridiculously good pumpkin pie bars… which I drizzled with melted chocolate, obviously.
So let’s talk deets!.. since I basically feel like I’m an expert on these at this point.
Ingredients-wise, we’ve got 3 main players: an egg, pumpkin puree*, and a natural almond butter*. Those make up the bulk of what you see, with the rest of the ingredients playing the supporting role. And yes, I know the list might seem a little long, but I couldn’t get them to come out the way I wanted when I tried to keep things simpler, which is why you see things like 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (or applesauce) and both a liquid and solid sweetener. Just trust me on this one – they’re still super easy since you’re tossing everything into one bowl.
For sweetener, I kept things unrefined with maple syrup and coconut sugar. Just two tablespoons of each is plenty, especially with the melted chocolate.
Uhm… the almond butter! Okay, so the first few batches I made used double the AB, and I found they came out a little too heavy and dense for my taste. This batch only uses 1/4 cup, which makes them fluffier and lighter in more ways than one. Oh, and the AB I ended up going with was the natural kind that you have to stir. I tried a no-stir variety, but that one gave me a spongier bar that I wasn’t too keen on.
Aaaaand… what else did I want to say? Oh! The Greek yogurt – that’s to both fluff up and tenderize the bars, since the dairy reacts with the baking soda to do magical things. But! if you want to keep these paleo and/or dairy-free, just swap the Greek yogurt for some applesauce since it basically does the same thing. Other than that, they’re flourless, grain-free, gluten-free, and oil-free.
Ok I’m done. Sorry for talking your ear(s) off, but I spent so much time with these flourless pumpkin pie bars that it’s just hard to let them go…
Kidding. They’re all yours.
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Fudgy Flourless Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 9 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup (180 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup (64 g) natural almond butter*
- 2 tbsp (30 g) plain Greek yogurt**
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (25 g) coconut palm sugar**
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (14 g) coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp (30 g) chocolate chips, melted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC), and prepare an 8 x 8 (20 x 20 cm) baking pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on the sides to allow for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg until the yolk breaks. Whisk in the pumpkin, almond butter, yogurt, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt, mixing until smooth. Sift in the coconut flour and baking soda, mixing well to ensure that it’s evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, using a spatula to distribute it evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you want to drizzle them with chocolate, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals and drizzle the melted chocolate over the bars with a spoon. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
* I recommend using a natural nut butter that requires stirring. Other varieties work, but the texture comes out slightly different. ** You can replace this with applesauce to make these paleo andor dairy-free. *** You can also use brown sugar.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try one of these!
One Bowl Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt Pancakes
Dairy Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
Flourless Pumpkin Brownies
Flourless Pumpkin Pie Muffins
*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you so much for helping support Spoons!
Can I sub in mashed banana instead of Greek yogurt?
That should work just fine, Alexa! I hope you like them.
Ok, I LOVE the taste of these bars. This may be my favorite recipe of yours, yet. However, my bars came out REALLY thin when baked in an 8×8. Is there a secret to getting them as thick as what you show in your photo? Should I perhaps double the recipe? I’m worried if I do that, I won’t know if I should actually double the baking time, too. I’m wondering if baking powder would be more beneficial to use in this than baking soda. Thoughts?
Is your baking soda fresh, Shannon? I find that if I use baking soda that’s been open for more than a month, my stuff doesn’t rise as well. But baking powder might work! I’d up the amount to 1 tsp though. And if you do double the recipe, I’d say you’d have to bake it for45-50 minutes.
I swapped out for new baking soda and changed to a metal pan, and the second try came out so much better!
That’s so great to hear, Shannon, and I really appreciate you taking the time to comment with an update. It’s pretty crazy how little things like that can make a huge difference, eh?
Behind on posts but gosh these look delicious! I am going to try making these. I may not be a nut butter fan but my husband and daughter are! Maybe I’ll get on the train one day lol
Can I just say… I would love to sit in your kitchen and eat all of your failed attempts! I am making these today as I saw a different recipe online of some yummy goodness that I cannot have. I love your banana muffins so I am sure I will love these too!
Could these be any easier! Loving all things pumpkin right now and with Dave’s allergies, I think I can make these and just sub out sunbutter and ground up sunflower seeds. Can’t wait to try these!
I’m so sorry to report that these were a fail. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out way too custardy and kind of mushy for my taste. The texture of yours looks a bit different based on your photos, but it’s kind of hard to tell. i sued a glass baking dish, while it looks like you used metal, but I can’t imagine that would make such a difference to the texture. Sadly, I had to throw the whole batch in the garbage.
I’m sorry to hear that they didn’t work out for you, Rose. A glass baking dish definitely could have been the culprit, as they’re not the best conductors of heat and can lead to bars/brownies that are too firm on the edges and still goopy in the middle. I’m not sure what altitude you’re at, but higher altitudes would also make an impact and could have these bars coming out too moist. And the last thing that I can think of is oven type. I’ve always found gas ovens to be a little more finicky to work with than electric ones because of how they circulate hot air, which could have a big impact on a recipe that’s slightly more finicky like this one. Whatever the case, I do apologize!
Hey Amanda, no need to apologize. I’m guessing a couple of things you mentioned were the culprits: the glass baking dish and the fact that I do, indeed, have a gas oven. Altitude wouldn’t be an issue. Mea culpa, mea culpa. I really appreciate you taking the time to try to offer solutions as to why they didn’t turn out. Have no fear, I’ll continue to be a big fan of your blog and trying your recipes!!
Okay, I am glad you had all those fails. These look incredible and you can tell how fudgy they are.
Eat a cashew for me, in 3 ways. rrrrrr.
Drat. I should have used cashew butter IN these…
Way to persevere!! These are beautiful.
Thanks lady!
These look like such a delicious healthier treat, Amanda. I normally can’t tolerate very much coconut flour, but I bet 2 Tbsp. divided over the whole recipe would go down fine. Can’t wait to try them!
I hope you like them, Joyce 🙂
In my opinion, pumpkin makes everything better. Great recipe.
Thanks Lauren!
I CANNOT wait to try these out. I generally try to stay refined sugar/wheat-flour free (though I’m a fan of a good sourdough bread or a perfect doughnut) and I am not a pumpkin spice latte girl so I want my pumpkin in a “grabbable” way. Thanks for the recipe!
I hope you like them, Rachel! I’m not a huge fan of the PSL either.
Dear Amanda, this is really great! I truly admire your creations !
Thank you!
YES girl!! You know what they say…persistence equals success! They being my high school psych professor who told us he was persistent in pursuing his wife – which equaled success because she eventually agreed to marry him 😉
Anyway, totally pinning and making these soon!! And definitely going to be drizzling them with chocolate. Wowza….
Lolol! You mean he finally wore her down enough?! 😉 Big yes to persistence, though. If you don’t try, you can’t succeed.
Insert Victory gif here. 🙂 🙂
I should have used the Brad Pitt dancing one…
Hi Amanda! These look delish! Under your notes section I think there is a typo😂 It says “nut butte” I’m assuming its supposed to say nut butter lol! Just so you know! Have a great weekend and I will definitely be trying these!
Lol! Definitely a typo. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Nina. Happy weekend!
I literally leaped out of bed when I saw this email…I have all of these ingredients on hand, so guess what I’m doing today? 😉
Sounds perfect for the weekend! I hope you like them, Marina!
Hi, thanks for this yummy looking recipe! I don’t have coconut flour – can I sub almond or even AP? I know you can’t do a strait 1:1 sub, but can to make a suggestion for a sub with one of the above? Thanks so much and happy fall!
Sorry, Rose, but I don’t think regular flour or almond flour will work in these. Coconut flour is a lot more absorbent, which is what these bars need since the batter is pretty moist. Not including it would probably make the bars a lot more wet and not set properly.
Your dedication to the recipe definitely paid off! These look PERFECT!
Thanks lady!
It’s amazing how almond butter can do wonders in making flourless bars really really light and fluffy!
Almond butter is a miracle worker and probably my favourite thing ever.