PALEO PUMPKIN BARS WITH VANILLA FROSTING

I have been making pumpkin bars the same way for years now, and when faced with the fact that this time I would need to make a paleo version, I was a little worried. I didn't think that paleo pumpkin bars could possibly taste as good as the old fashioned kind I used to make. I cringed as I watched my family take the first bites, but the smiles on their faces were enough for me to know that we had a winner!
These pumpkin bars are moist, delicious and easy to make. The frosting is optional and the bars still taste great without it. Coconut whipped cream is also a great topping instead of frosting. I like to use a piping bag to tops the bars with the frosting. Another option is to place the frosting in a small, resealable plastic bag, snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag with scissors, and pipe the frosting onto the top of each bar.
This recipe can also be made without the crust if you want to keep it extra simple. Just skip that entire step and pour the batter right into the 8x8 pan. Bake as instructed and you will have some delicious paleo pumpkin bars!
These pumpkin bars are moist, delicious and easy to make. The frosting is optional and the bars still taste great without it. Coconut whipped cream is also a great topping instead of frosting. I like to use a piping bag to tops the bars with the frosting. Another option is to place the frosting in a small, resealable plastic bag, snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag with scissors, and pipe the frosting onto the top of each bar.
This recipe can also be made without the crust if you want to keep it extra simple. Just skip that entire step and pour the batter right into the 8x8 pan. Bake as instructed and you will have some delicious paleo pumpkin bars!
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Ingredients:
CRUST
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (or sesame seed flour if allergic to nuts)
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- 3 Tbsp. raw honey, warmed if solid
- 2 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
BARS
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
- 3/4 cup raw honey, warmed if solid
- 1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil, warmed if solid
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
FROSTING
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup raw honey (use lighter colored honey for a whiter frosting)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Dash sea salt
Equipment:
- 2 medium sized mixing bowls
- Stirring spoon
- Fork
- Hand mixer
- 8x8 glass baking pan
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Piping bag
Directions:
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). To make the crust, mix the salt, almond flour, tapioca flour, raw honey and coconut oil or ghee together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Press into the bottom of an 8x8 glass baking pan with your fingers. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown, then remove from the oven and set aside.
TO MAKE THE BARS:
1. Combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, raw honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat on low with a hand mixer until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt and baking powder and stir with a fork until well combined (make sure to dip your measuring cup into the bag of flour and scrape the top with a knife to get the right amount of flour). Slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the almond flour mixture, using the hand mixer on low speed until well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking pan over the pre-baked crust, and set in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center it just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Place the frosting in the fridge for a few minutes if it is too runny and it will firm up nicely (you may need to whip again with hand mixer after cooling). Pipe onto bars and serve!
CRUST
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (or sesame seed flour if allergic to nuts)
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- 3 Tbsp. raw honey, warmed if solid
- 2 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
BARS
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
- 3/4 cup raw honey, warmed if solid
- 1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil, warmed if solid
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
FROSTING
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup raw honey (use lighter colored honey for a whiter frosting)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Dash sea salt
Equipment:
- 2 medium sized mixing bowls
- Stirring spoon
- Fork
- Hand mixer
- 8x8 glass baking pan
- Measuring cup and spoons
- Piping bag
Directions:
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). To make the crust, mix the salt, almond flour, tapioca flour, raw honey and coconut oil or ghee together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Press into the bottom of an 8x8 glass baking pan with your fingers. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown, then remove from the oven and set aside.
TO MAKE THE BARS:
1. Combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, raw honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat on low with a hand mixer until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt and baking powder and stir with a fork until well combined (make sure to dip your measuring cup into the bag of flour and scrape the top with a knife to get the right amount of flour). Slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the almond flour mixture, using the hand mixer on low speed until well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking pan over the pre-baked crust, and set in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center it just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Place the frosting in the fridge for a few minutes if it is too runny and it will firm up nicely (you may need to whip again with hand mixer after cooling). Pipe onto bars and serve!