These Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars are easy and so delicious! A graham cracker-like crust and rich, smooth filling makes for a perfect treat. Dairy free, gluten free, and naturally sweetened.
I know Thanksgiving is less than a week away and you may already have your menu planned. But I had to get the recipe for these bars posted because they are so good and they would be perfect for dessert.
I've always loved pumpkin pie. It's by far my favorite pie and possibly my favorite dessert entirely. What I don't love though is pie crust. I would always eat around it and throw it away. So when deciding to make these bars, I knew it needed a better crust.
My husband thought I should make my Paleo Graham Crackers, then crush them up and make a crust out of those. That's not a bad idea, but I didn't have the time or energy for that!! So I made a crust using similar ingredients to those graham crackers so all the flavor is still there. The crust truly tastes like a graham cracker crust, which is the perfect base in my opinion.
I grew up making pumpkin pie using the recipe on the Libby's can, except my mom always replaced the white sugar with brown sugar. It adds a depth of flavor that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin spice. I replaced the brown sugar for unrefined coconut sugar, but it reminds me a lot of brown sugar with it's carmel-y taste. I then replaced the evaporated milk with full fat coconut milk and the bars came out perfect. Dairy free, refined sugar free and just as delicious and the original! These are the bars to make if you're looking for a recipe that everyone will love- not just people that eat paleo. No one will be able to tell the difference- promise!
The crust of these Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars is buttery, slightly sweet and the perfect base to the smooth, creamy pumpkin layer. Just like traditional pie, these are best served cold. So great to make ahead and have ready for Thanksgiving or anytime 🙂
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Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons ghee, room temperature
Pumpkin Filling
- 1- 15 oz can pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° and line a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: in a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, and ghee. Mix until mixture is well combined then press it into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
- While crust is baking, make the filling. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt. Whisk until completely smooth.
- Pour over baked crust and bake for 55-60 minutes.
- Let cool at room temperature, then chill in fridge.
Nutrition Information
Lisa Joyal says
Does the crust work using a 9" pie pan?
Jessica DeMay says
I haven't tried, but it should!
Marlene says
I’d like to sub the coconut sugar with maple syrup. Do you think that would make the filling too runny? Thinking maybe I add a tbsp or so of corn starch to help thicken it a bit?
Jessica DeMay says
I don't think that would work great, but you could use maple sugar. If you wanna try then yes, add a thickener maybe.
Lisa P. says
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Lisa- yes, that should work
Julianne Trahan says
The bars taste "just like pumpkin pie" according to my husband. I used a monkfruit/ erythritol powdered sweetener to make it even lower carbs, I substituted Earth Balance butter for the ghee and followed directions for baking the crust first without the filling. Not sure why, but the crust was soggy except on the edges.
Rachel says
Hey Jessica! What would you recommend to do for doubling this recipe for a crowd on Thanksgiving? Would you just do 2 or can I put it in a bigger pan and adjust cooking time?
Clara says
Can I use coconut oil instead of ghee?
Jessica DeMay says
Yes!
Kacie says
These are soo good! Just made them last night. I let them sit in the fridge overnight to set up. Delish!
Kay says
The custard was ok. Not sure I like the flavor and color of the coconut sugar. But the crust didn’t taste good at all. I’d never used ghee and maybe that’s why. But I didn’t like the flavor and it crumbled really bad when I went to serve it.
Madison says
Hey Jessica! This looks amazing, however I am not the biggest fan of coconut. Will the full fat coconut milk be noticeable or subtle due to the pumpkin and other flavors?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Madison- I don't think the flavor is detectable with the spices, but you could possibly try a high fat almond milk like Elmhurst. Hope you try them!
Lisa Pearlstein says
We are a nut free house. Can I sub out cassava flour instead of the almond flour?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Lisa- I haven't tried it, but it may work.