Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Why you will love this recipe:

• The taste! These pumpkin bars are so delicious! Sweet, soft, fudgy, gooey and chocolatey. They remind me of pumpkin blondies.
• Even though they are made from scratch these cookie bars are quick and easy to make and only require a few minutes of hands on time, just like my chocolate gluten-free mug cake.
• They make the perfect fall dessert and are also great to serve at Thanksgiving.
• These pumpkin cookie bars are gluten-free, dairy free, refined sugar free and paleo. They are also made without oatmeal.
• Because they are made with almond flour they are high in protein compared to other pumpkin cookie bar recipes.
• They store well and freeze well so are great for meal prep and to make ahead of time.
• These healthy pumpkin bars also make great breakfast bars or snack bars and are a fun alternative to oat bars.

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Pumpkin puree - this is what gives this pumpkin dessert its pumpkin flavour and helps make these bars soft and gooey. You can either use canned pumpkin puree or make your own. Be sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
• Almond flour - this gives these bars the perfect texture and adds more protein. Be sure to use finely ground almond flour and not almond meal which is more gritty. Instead of almond flour you could use cashew flour instead.
• Coconut flour - when combined with the almond flour coconut flour helps give these cookie bars the perfect texture. Do not try to substitute this with any other flours.
• Coconut sugar - my favourite granulated sweetener to help sweeten these bars while keeping them refined sugar free. If you don't have coconut sugar you could use brown sugar instead.
• Coconut oil - this helps add moisture and give these cookie bars the perfect firm outer texture. I do not recommend swapping coconut oil for any other type of fat or oil.
• Cashew butter - helps make these bars even more soft and gooey. If you can't find cashew butter you could use almond butter or peanut butter to give them a different flavour. Just be sure whatever type of nut butter you use is smooth and unsweetened.
• Egg - An egg is used to help bind these bars together and give them a little more moisture. I have not tried making these pumpkin bars egg free or with any egg replacements and am not sure if it would work out if you tried.
• Chocolate chips - I prefer to use dark chocolate chips and ones made with coconut sugar to keep these bars refined sugar free.
• Sea salt - to help contrast the sweetness of these bars.
• Vanilla extract - this helps enhance the flavours of this healthy treat.

Recipe add ins:

• If you want a little more texture add some chopped pecans or walnuts to these blondies.

How to make gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bars:

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8" x 8" baking dish with parchment paper. While the oven is heating add all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, to the bowl of your standing mixer. 

Step 2

Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth batter.

Step 3

Next stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Step 4

Transfer the dough to the baking pan and spread it out into an even layer. The dough is sticky so wetting your spoon will help make it easier to spread. Bake the bars for 31-33 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean.

Step 5

Let the bars cool, then cut them into pieces and enjoy!

Top tips:

• The dough is very sticky so I recommend wetting a spoon or knife to help you spread the batter in the pan.
• Be sure to use smooth, unsweetened nut butter to make these bars.
• Be sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper to make these bars easier to remove from the pan. I don't recommend using non-stick baking pans (you can read why in my guide to the best non-toxic bakeware).
• Let these bars cool completely before cutting them. If you want to cool them faster you can put the pan in the fridge.

How to store:

Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They also freeze really well. I recommend cutting them into pieces before freezing them in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months.