These secretly vegan easy pumpkin pie bars are packed with the delicious fall flavors you love from classic pumpkin pie yet in bar form! Low sugar and low fat, these healthy pumpkin pie bars are the perfect healthy fall dessert recipe!

pumpkin pie bars sliced

The best secretly vegan pumpkin dessert!

I kid you not, no one will be able to tell that these pumpkin pie bars are secretly vegan and healthy!

You have all of the classic fall flavors in one bite: pumpkin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Yet, these pumpkin bars somehow naturally gluten free, egg-free, nut free, soy free, and dairy free!

sliced vegan pumpkin bars

I’m always a fan of surprising people who don’t normally eat vegan by not telling them the exact details of what they’re eating until after they’ve taken a bite (well of course, as long as they don’t have an allergy). So I was over the moon when everyone who tried these bars didn’t think they were vegan.

And I know what you’re thinking- my family and friends know I run a vegan baking website! But sometimes I like to dress things up to make it look like it came from a bakery 😉 And then I don’t tell them it was actually me who was the baker haha!

pumpkin bars on plate

PLUS! NO CRACKED PUMPKIN PIE! Can it be true!? Absolutely.

So trust me when I say: these easy pumpkin pie bars will be the perfect dessert to grace your Thanksgiving table (or Friendsgiving table!) because they’re just an absolute crowd pleaser for all eaters, allergies or not!

sliced pumpkin bars

Ingredients for healthy pumpkin pie bars:

Now, many people think that if it’s healthy or even vegan, that must mean it requires a ton of ingredients that are hard to find or expensive.

Actually, quite the opposite! Yes, it’s true that these bars are free of the Top 8 Allergens, but we’re still using really simple ingredients.

hand drizzling maple syrup

For these healthy pumpkin pie bars, you’ll need:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Oats
  • Coconut oil (or vegan butter)
  • Maple syrup
  • Pumpkin pie spice (or a blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom)
  • Coconut sugar
  • Dairy free milk (such as oat milk or coconut milk)
  • Arrowroot starch or cornstarch (I also give an option for flaxseed in the recipe card!)
sliced pumpkin bars with pie cut outs

But don’t worry; while made with the simplest of plant based ingredients, you’ll be shocked at how deliciously fall-like these pumpkin pie bars taste!

How to make pumpkin pie bars

So how easy are these vegan pumpkin pie bars? Like, really easy. In fact, you only need 1 bowl or 1 food processor.

  • pumpkin filling ingredients
  • pumpkin puree in food processor

I’ve made this recipe entirely in the food processor (because you will need to blend the oats into an oat flour), but you can also add a bowl if you’d like.

First, you’ll make the oat flour pie crust: blend the oats and baking soda together until it’s a fine flour. Then add in the coconut oil, maple syrup, and water, and blend again until it’s a dough. Press the dough into the baking pan, and blind bake the crust until it’s lightly golden. Then prepare the filling!

  • pumpkin pie crust unbaked
  • oat flour crust baked in pan

Now, you’ll make the egg-free pumpkin pie bar filling: reduce the oven heat to 350F. Then, back into the food processor, add all of the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the pie crust and smooth over until it touches the edges of the pan. Bake until set!

  • pumpkin pie bar filling
  • pumpkin pie bars before they're baked

How do I know when pumpkin pie bars are done baking?

This is usually where people struggle the most! These secretly healthy pumpkin pie bars are truly easy, but knowing when the pumpkin pie filling has set and is ready to take out can be tricky.

  • pumpkin bars from the oven
    Fresh from the oven
  • chilled pumpkin bars
    After 4-6 hours

These pumpkin bars will take about 30 minutes to bake, give or take, but you’ll know when they’re ready by seeing if most of the edges of the pumpkin pie filling are set (so they don’t wiggle), but the very middle of the baking pan might be slightly “wet” looking and wiggle a little.

sliced pumpkin pie bars with coconut whipped cream

The top of the pumpkin bars might also look a little browner than usual- this is partly due to the coconut sugar, but it will also be slightly darker (not burnt though! Don’t let it brown completely!) and will lighten in the fridge.

pumpkin pie bars

Do pumpkin pie bars need to be refrigerated?

Yes, you need to refrigerate your pumpkin pie bars after the baking process, and also during storage!

However, you’ll need to allow the bars to cool for a few minutes before placing into the fridge.

pumpkin bars with coconut cream

After they’ve cooled, you will need to refrigerate the bars for up to 6 hours (but after 4 they should be fine!). This will allow the bars to fully set so that you can make a clean slice.

Can you freeze healthy pumpkin pie bars?

Absolutely! If you have any leftovers, you can easily store these vegan pumpkin pie bars in an airtight container in the fridge or even freeze them for up to a month.

sliced bars with pumpkin pie cut outs

To defrost, simply place the bars into the fridge to slowly thaw for about a day.

Tips for making vegan pumpkin pie bars:

  • Use a food processor: I truly think this is my favorite piece of equipment. The food processor is just so handy! It will easily make your pumpkin pie crust, along with the filling.
  • If you want to use a flaxseed “egg”: if you don’t have arrowroot starch or cornstarch, you can swap in 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 1/3 cup water. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes to fully coagulate, then use in place of the starch!
  • Make your own spice blend! My favorite pumpkin pie spice blend that I’ve tried is by Simply Organics, but if you want to make your own, I recommend using the one by Liv Well Bake Often.
  • Serve cold: pumpkin pie is definitely meant to be consumed chilled! Serve with a bit of coconut whipped cream and extra maple syrup!
  • Decorate with pumpkin pie cut-outs! If you have any leftover pie crust, you can use pie cut-outs (I got these ones at Williams Sonoma last year), and decorate your bars with the cut-outs afterwards! See my directions for baking the cut-outs in my vegan pumpkin pie post.
pumpkin bars with slice

I hope you love these secretly healthy pumpkin pie bars as much as I do! If you make them, let me know down below in the comments section, as well as giving them a rating so that others can find them!

As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations, so be sure to tag me on Instagram and Pinterest!

Happy pumpkin pie bar baking!

bitten pumpkin pie bar

More healthy vegan pumpkin desserts:

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (Nut Free)

Healthy Pumpkin Pie

Easy Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Marbled Pumpkin Bread

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pumpkin pie bars sliced

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

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  • Author: thebananadiaries
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These secretly vegan easy pumpkin pie bars are packed with the delicious fall flavors you love from classic pumpkin pie yet in bar form! Low sugar and low fat, these healthy pumpkin pie bars are the perfect healthy fall dessert recipe!

Ingredients

Scale

Crusts:

  • 2 1/2 cups oats, ground into oat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, chilled
  • 2–3 tbsp chilled water
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

  • 1 can pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or cornstarch, see note
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Pumpkin Pie Bar Crust:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor, process the oats and baking soda until the oats are a rustic flour.
  3. Add in the chilled coconut oil, chilled water (starting with 2 tbsp), and maple syrup, and pulse until it’s a crumbly dough. If the dry flour isn’t sticking together with the wet ingredients, add in a third tablespoon of water.
  4. Spoon the crumbled dough into the baking pan, and press out with your hands until it reaches the edges of the pan. Poke 4-6 holes into the crust using a fork, and place the crust into the oven to blind bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.
  5. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling. Turn the oven heat down to 350F.

Pumpkin Pie Bar Filling:

  1. In a food processor, blend together all filling ingredients until smooth.
  2. Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth out the filling until it touches the edges of the baking pan.
  3. Place the pan into the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, or until most of the pumpkin pie filling has set and the very middle is slightly wiggly.
  4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring over to the fridge to chill for 4-6 hours.
  5. After 4-6 hours, you can slice into 16 bars, and serve! Top with coconut whipped cream, extra maple syrup and pie crust cut-outs. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Notes

If you don’t have arrowroot powder or cornstarch: you can also use 2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 1/3 cup water. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-7 minutes to coagulate before using.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 square
  • Calories: 155
  • Sugar: 7.7 g
  • Sodium: 8.2 mg
  • Fat: 7.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 1.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
pinterest image for pumpkin pie bars