Time for fall and pumpkin recipes! Healthy pumpkin pie bars with graham cracker topping is such a good recipe to make for the holidays, or just when you need some pumpkin goodness. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, so everyone can enjoy it! Healthy pumpkin pie bars are the perfect recipe to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. You’re sure to be the talk of your family with this insanely delicious dessert!
Before I really got into baking my own recipes, I tried to make a healthy pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving a few years ago. Unfortunately, it did not go too well. It just didn’t have that traditional pumpkin pie taste, texture, and satisfaction. That’s definitely not the case for these healthy pumpkin pie bars! They’re light, but still, have the rich texture of pumpkin pie. The graham cracker topping takes them over the edge. This one is a winner!
What Ingredients Do I Need?
In order to make these healthy pumpkin pie bars, you need some basic baking ingredients that you probably already have on hand. I used gluten-free graham crackers
- Pumpkin puree
- Peanut butter
- Eggs
- Maple syrup
- Almond flour
- Graham crackers
- Coconut sugar
- Coconut oil
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
Shopping for Pumpkin
When you’re looking for pumpkin at the grocery store, it is SO important that you get canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. The canned pureed pumpkin should only have 1 ingredient…pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is loaded with sugar and additives that you don’t want in your recipes. Instead, buy the plain pumpkin and add your own sugar. This way, you’re in control of what’s in your food and you know what you’re eating.
How to Bake it
Believe it or not, this is actually a pumpkin pie upside-down cake! Meaning, I baked the graham cracker topping on the bottom, then flipped the slices over when ready for serving. This allows the graham crackers to bake into the pumpkin pie. When you’re making this recipe, you want to bake the graham cracker crust for a few minutes on its own, first. This lets it set before adding the batter.
While the crust is baking, you want to make the pumpkin pie batter. It’s going to look a little runny, but that’s how you want it.
After you bake this healthy pumpkin pie, you want to let it cool completely before slicing. I know, the temptation is hard! I promise it’s going to be worth the wait.
Ways to Serve
This healthy pumpkin pie is delicious on its own, but there are some things you could add which just take it over the top. Some delicious ways to eat this pie are:
- With ice cream
- Topped with whipped cream
- In yogurt bowls
- With fresh berries
- Drizzled with peanut butter
How Should I Store These?
These healthy pumpkin pie bars should be kept in the refrigerator and will stay good for up to 1 week. If not eaten within a week, you can slice and store them in the freezer.
Healthy Pumpkin Cake
Course: Dessert, BreakfastDifficulty: Easy12
servings15
minutes38
minutesIngredients
- Graham Cracker Crust
1 box Scharr’s Honeygrams (or 1 1/4 cups of crushed graham crackers)
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp melted coconut oil
- Pumpkin Cake
3/4 cup pumpkin pie puree
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp almond flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a food processor, blend the graham crackers until it resembles sand. Add the coconut sugar, salt, and coconut oil. Mix until combined.
- In a greased 9″x11″ baking dish, pour the crust mixture and press it down with your hands to fill the pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, add the pumpkin, peanut butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Take the crust out when it’s done baking and pour the batter on top. Smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you try this recipe, make sure you leave a comment and tag me on Instagram @sprinklingofhealth to show me!
This looks delicious. Have pinned the recipe. Always on the look out for good healthy recipes – pumpkin is great! Thanks.
Awesome, I hope you give them a try!!
I saw this on instagram or maybe pinterest I am not sure but I only took a screen shot of the ingredients not the instructions and knew there was probably something to it more than combining everything together so I googled Schar and it wasn’t on their website. I googled gluten free, dairy free pumpkin bars and searched and searched but nothing. Finally I put all the ingredients in the recipe in the google search and went through a couple pages of search results and came up with the exact list so this is it!! I am going to make this today. Your picture looks like there is a crumb topping but the recipe doesn’t sound like it.
Hi Clare! The full recipe is on my website. It’s called “Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars.” They have a graham cracker topping which is all explained in the post. I hope you made these and enjoyed them!