These Paleo pumpkin bars is way easier to make than pumpkin pie. I’ve been eating Paleo, off and on, for at least 10 years – before there was even such a thing. I very rarely eat dessert. It’s just not necessary for me anymore. Plus, it’s just extra work, because it’s not like I can eat any desserts anyone in my family makes or that they have at the store.
But I’m determined to make the holidays differently this year. I’m going to make these Paleo pumpkin bars and share them. That way I can eat what everyone else is eating – and I won’t eat them all myself! What do you do for dessert during the holidays? Do you skip dessert, make something just for you, or make something for everyone?
I hope you like my Paleo pumpkin bars recipe. The crust is made with pecans and dates. The filling layer is almost a mousse/chiffon texture and is made by pureeing pumpkin puree, dates, coconut oil, etc. They have a very luxurious texture. The ‘Whipped cream’ on top is made with the thick coconut cream found in the top of a can of coconut milk, lightly sweetened with honey.
These pumpkin bars are best served very cold as the coconut oil is part of what binds them and needs to be chilled for that to work to maximum effect.
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Pumpkin Bars Recipe {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free} – I’m sick of not eating what everyone else is having, so I’m going to make these and share with everyone.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 180 minutes
- Total Time: 205 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Paleo
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 heaping cup Pecans {*}
- ¼ cup Almond Flour {*}
- ¼ cup Shredded Coconut {*} (I use the finely shredded unsweetened variety by Bob’s Red Mill…not the sweetened shredded coconut {*})
- 8 Dates {*} (should be soft)
- ¼ tsp Ground Ginger {*}
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon {*}
- 1 tsp Molasses {*}
- 2 Tbl Coconut Oil {*}
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 ½ cup Pumpkin Puree {*} (some pumpkin purees are more watery than others- use one with as little water as possible the firmer the better)
- 12 Dates {*}
- ½ cup Coconut Oil {*}
- ½ cup Coconut Milk {*} (canned)
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla {*}
- 1 ½ Tbl Honey {*}
- ¼ tsp Allspice {*}
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice {*}
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:
- 1 15 oz. can Coconut Milk {*} (thick coconut cream {*} on the top, only. Store remaining liquidy coconut milk {*} the fridge for another use.)
- ½ Tbl Honey {*}
- Ground Cinnamon {*} (for dusting)
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST:
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with tin foil or plastic wrap.
- Add the pecans, almond flour, and shredded coconut to bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans resemble small, coarse crumbs.
- Add the dates, ginger, cinnamon, molasses, and coconut oil to the nut mixture and process until the dates are chopped fine enough to hold the crust together. Scoop the dough into the prepared pan and press evenly over the bottom.
FOR THE FILLING:
- Add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend together until very smooth. This shouldn’t be too hard in a high speed blender(I use a vitamix), but you may need to puree for a bit longer in a regular food processor. The mixture should have no lumps and be a smooth, fluffy consistency.
- Spoon the mixture over the crust and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- Once chilled, you should be able to lift the bars(carefully out of the pan by lifting them by the tin foil or plastic wrap and sliding onto the counter.
- Cut into bars. Top each bar with a dollop of coconut cream topping and a dash of cinnamon.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:
- Place the coconut cream and the honey in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer until combined.
- Spoon a dollop of cream over each pumpkin bar. Dust each bar with a dash of cinnamon. Serve chilled.
Keywords: almond flour, pecans, dates, coconut, pumpkin, Paleo pumpkin bars
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Denise Amodeo
May 17, 2018 at 2:09 pmHi! A friend from my place of work informed me about being on a ketogenic diet! So I came to the library today,
specifically to look & browse for recipes so that I could learn to eat healthier! I found a chicken curry recipe & Paleo
pumpkin bars recipe that I can hardly wait to make!
Rebecca
May 24, 2018 at 7:46 pmI would love to know if you liked the recipe!
Deb
March 25, 2017 at 11:19 amWonderful recipes without oats ,corn or rice which my body can not tolerate…..
★★★★★
Rebecca
March 29, 2017 at 8:43 pmGlad to help!
Stephanie
November 28, 2016 at 6:39 pmMy mother and I made these for Thanksgiving this year, they were absolutely delicious! 🙂
Rebecca
January 2, 2017 at 9:48 amI’m glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
julie
November 21, 2016 at 3:58 pmcan I sub the almond flour in the crust with a sprouted wheat flour?
Rebecca
January 2, 2017 at 9:24 amSorry, but those flours are very different.
DD
October 11, 2015 at 6:36 amJust confused about the filling. When I buy coconut milk ( canned) it’s usually cream on top with the thin milk on bottom, for the 1/2 cup coconut milk in the filling, am I using just the thin watery part of the can?
Thx
Rebecca
October 17, 2015 at 4:50 pmSorry it is a little confusing you should use the thick milk.
Debbie
December 12, 2015 at 11:00 amPut the can of Coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. This will help with the separation. Let the cream warm up a bit before mixing.
Alexandra
August 29, 2015 at 2:03 pmI’m sorry to say, but these still are not vegan. Vegan is absolutely NO ANIMAL BYPRODUCTS. And this includes honey. Perhaps swapping out the honey for agave nectar? Then it will be vegan.
Rebecca
August 29, 2015 at 4:36 pmThanks for the comment, we looked at it and fixed things so it doesn’t say it is Vegan.
Barrie
April 17, 2015 at 4:00 pmI love pumpkin and eat it year round. I’ve been making 98% paleo recipes and feel so much better. This looks so good and fairly easy. Something to try this weekend.
Sarah L
December 2, 2014 at 6:20 pmI think these would be a great addition to my dessert book. Thanks.
Amy Netzel
December 1, 2014 at 10:06 pmThese sound delicious! I’ve never worked with tapioca flour, but I’m familiar with everything else. Thanks for the recipe!
caroline
December 1, 2014 at 7:53 amLove these! Can’t wait to try this paleo recipe. Oh pumpkin season!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
November 26, 2014 at 2:31 amThese pumpkin bars look so incredibly delicious – I love that they are paleo especially!
patty
November 25, 2014 at 9:51 pmThis recipe sounds delicious but I am a little confused. Above the recipe you mentioned that this is vegan but the crust recipe here has butter and an egg. Could you by any chance post the recipe for the vegan crust. Thanks so much.
Rebecca
December 4, 2014 at 11:44 amThank you for bringing this to our attention. After investigation we were able to find the problem. I have fixed the recipe and it is now Vegan and correct once again. Thank you for your help and patience.