Soft and cakey gluten free pumpkin bars are filled with the classic flavors of pumpkin pie and topped with a sweet-tangy, totally irresistible cream cheese frosting. Enjoy them for Halloween and beyond!
The best fall bake, gluten free pumpkin bars are something I look forward to all summer long! Swirled with autumnal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, the cozy factor is upped by a decadent layer of rich cream cheese frosting. Similar to my gluten free pumpkin snack cake but denser and handheld, pumpkin bars are a favorite treat.
The bars taste great straight from the fridge and even better after they've come to room temperature for a bit. I love that you can eat pumpkin bars without a fork which is especially handy when serving to kids or at a fall gathering (or both?). I made these bars with my homemade gluten free flour blend, but you can use your blend of choice.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Simple ingredients, big flavors, and tons of pumpkin all wrapped up in luscious little bars - what could be better? These gluten free pumpkin bars are fun and festive and I know you'll love them.
- Gluten free but you wouldn't know it. The fine, tender crumb that's never gritty or dry makes it impossible to tell that this is a gluten free dessert.
- Packed with fall goodness. From the maple syrup to the warming spices to the pumpkin puree these pumpkin bars just scream "fall".
- Kid-friendly - My girls are not always a fan of cream cheese frosting but this one gets it just right with a perfect balance of sweetness and a touch of light tanginess. They gobbled these up!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten free flour - Use your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
- Rising agents - Baking powder and baking soda (make sure they're fresh).
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt and table salt also works.
- Spices - A combo of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Oil - I used vegetable oil, and other choices could include coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Eggs - Use large eggs at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar - If you wish you can substitute this with an equal amount of brown sugar.
- Brown sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar).
- Maple syrup - For the slightest hint of maple flavor, add a little maple syrup. You can easily leave this out if you don't have maple syrup.
- Pumpkin puree - Always use pure pumpkin puree! Pumpkin pie filling contains stabilizers and extra sugar which, yuck.
- Butter - I used unsalted butter for the frosting, but you can also use salted butter if needed.
- Cream cheese - Use full-fat block cream cheese for the creamiest, best effect.
- Powdered sugar - ALWAYS sift powdered sugar before adding it to any recipe, especially a frosting recipe, to remove any clumps.
Scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
Variations
- Omit the frosting: Leave off the frosting and cut the bars into smaller squares or serve them on toothpicks for party-ready bites of cake.
- A different frosting: You can top bars with another frosting of choice, such as vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream, although I truly prefer the cream cheese frosting!
- Add candied nuts: Top the pan of gluten free pumpkin bars with a generous sprinkling of chopped candied pecans or walnuts before you slice them.
Check out my gluten free pumpkin sheet cake for a cake-like riff on these bars.
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars
Here's an overview via my photos below of how you'll make these snack bars.
1. Make dry mix: Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Then in a bowl whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. Make wet mix: In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin together until combined.
4. Combine: Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Then place in the pan and let rest for 20 minutes.
5. Bake: Place in the oven and bake the bars at 350°F for up to 1 hour. Cool completely before making the frosting.
6. Make the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese, then sift in the powdered sugar until smooth.
7. Frost the bars: Spread the frosting in an even layer over the top of the bars.
Baking Tip
Make your own pumpkin puree: If you want to do this, it's so easy! Here's how: Pick up a sugar pie pumpkin at the store (up to 6 pounds; you may need two). Cut the pumpkin half, scoop out the seeds and innards, then bake it face down on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes. When the pumpkin has cooled a bit, scrape off the skin, place the pumpkin in a food processor, and process until very smooth.
For this recipe, you will then measure out 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree. No need to blot - these bars will happily soak up any extra moisture.
Substitution Suggestions & Tips
Resting the batter to let the gluten free flour blend absorb the liquid is key (full disclosure: my batter rested for over an hour because I was doing school pickups; try for at least 15 minutes). A few more tips include:
- Use room temperature ingredients: Bring ingredients to room temperature before using. This will help them seamlessly blend into the batter. This is especially important when making the cream cheese frosting - the cream cheese should be very soft so the finished frosting is beautifully smooth.
- To make vegan: Substitute three flax eggs for the eggs. Use your preferred vegan butter substitute and cream cheese substitute in the frosting.
- Skip the maple syrup: If you don't have maple syrup on hand, you can swap it with honey, or just omit it altogether. The bars will still be perfectly sweet.
- Use pumpkin pie spice: Swap 2 ¼ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the combination of spices in the batter if you have this spice blend handy.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon: Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon - or ginger, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice blend - over the top of the frosting for a decorative finish.
Proper Storage
Store gluten free pumpkin bars in an air-tight container or well-covered in the pan in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can serve the bars cold from the fridge or at room temperature. You can slice them all up at once or as needed.
I don't recommend freezing the bars because of the dairy in the frosting BUT if you wish to bake the cake part ahead of time, you can wrap it well and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost the bars fully in the fridge, then make the frosting and frost the bars.
More Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes
If you tried these gluten free pumpkin bars or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below! And I always appreciate a star rating if you loved it ❤️
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour (280 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
- 3 eggs large
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar, use light or dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, optional
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Make Bars
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with oil and line with parchment paper, leaving some to go up the sides.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin together until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and whisk and stir until completely combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Let rest for at least 15 minutes so the flours can hydrate. Then preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, checking at 50 minutes. A tester inserted in the middle should come out clean, the top should feel slightly firm when lightly pressed, and the edges should be coming away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about an hour. Place in the fridge to chill further while you make the frosting.
Make Frosting
- Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, whip the ingredients together until well blended and slightly fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and then sift in the powdered sugar (to avoid lumps). Mix very well until a thick frosting forms. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake and place in the fridge.
- Pumpkin bars may be served cold from the fridge or at room temperature. You can slice them all up at once or as needed. Bars will keep, well covered in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: Bring ingredients to room temperature before using. This will help them seamlessly blend into the batter. This is especially important when making the cream cheese frosting - the cream cheese should be very soft so the finished frosting is beautifully smooth.
- To make vegan: Substitute three flax eggs for the eggs. Use your preferred vegan butter substitute and cream cheese substitute in the frosting.
- Skip the maple syrup: If you don't have maple syrup on hand, you can swap it with honey, or just omit it altogether. The bars will still be perfectly sweet.
- Use pumpkin pie spice: Swap 2 ¼ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the combination of spices in the batter if you have this spice blend handy.
- Add a sprinkle of cinnamon: Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon - or ginger, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice blend - over the top of the frosting for a decorative finish.
Helen says
Wow. So thorough and so many options. Clear directions and a scrumptious result. Keep on baking. Thank you.