Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars
These Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars are made with an oatmeal crust & crumble with a creamy pumpkin pie filling! The perfect portable pumpkin pie, made healthier and just as delicious.
Meet your pumpkin dreams come true: pumpkin pie crumb bars! I love all the pumpkin recipes as soon as we get into fall (who doesn’t?!) and these are at the top of the list, along with my pumpkin spice syrup and my all-time favorite baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
These bars are just like pumpkin pie, except with an oatmeal crumble topping! They’re portable, so no need to deal with messy slices. Just pick it up and devour. Or, be a little extra like me and top with ice cream before you enjoy.
These pumpkin pie bars are all the things…
- Crisp, tender crust
- Creamy pumpkin pie filling
- Gluten-free & vegan
- Easy to make and slice
- Absolutely delicious
- Perfect for holidays
What’s in the oatmeal crust?
I love this crust so much, because it doubles as both a crust and a crumble topping. It gets super crisp and tender, and the flavor is the perfect complement to the creamy pumpkin spice filling. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Almond Flour: I love the rich, tender texture this provides!
- Baking Soda & Salt: for lift and flavor.
- Cinnamon: feel free to sub for pumpkin spice or leave it out if you want less spice.
- Coconut Oil: helps hold things together. Use refined coconut oil for less coconut flavor.
- Almond Butter: any nut or seed butter will work. It helps bind the crust and makes it super rich and tender.
- Coconut Sugar: for sweetness! Any granulated sweetener will work.
- Oats: I love using gluten-free rolled oats for the best texture. Make sure to seek out GF oats if you’re serving to anyone who is gluten-free.
- Pecans: I love the extra crunch the nuts add! Pecans are my go-to, but walnuts or almonds work well also.
What’s in the pumpkin pie filling?
It’s essentially a vegan pumpkin pie filling! We make it with plenty of pumpkin spice so that it is perfectly spiced and so deliciously smooth and creamy. It’s everything I want in a pumpkin pie filling, tucked between layers of crumble. Here’s what you need:
- Pumpkin Puree: the star! Can’t sub this out :) I like using a thick, canned pumpkin puree. If yours seems thin, you can cook it down slightly over the stove.
- Canned Coconut Milk: this adds richness, but doesn’t add a ton of coconut flavor.
- Maple Syrup: for warm, delicious sweetness!
- Coconut Sugar: if you’re wanting extra sweetness. You can also leave this out.
- Almond Butter: this adds lots of richness and creaminess to the filling.
- Tapioca Starch: helps thicken things up. Arrowroot starch or cornstarch also work.
- Vanilla Extract: for flavor!
- Pumpkin Pie Spices & Salt: I call for individual amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice in the recipe below. You can substitute an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.
How to store pumpkin pie crumb bars:
These will keep super well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
If you’d like to freeze them, place in an airtight container (separate any layers with parchment so they don’t stick together) and freeze for up to 6 months. Let thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
It’s pumpkin season! You’ve got to try these spiced treats…
- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Granola (Gluten Free + Vegan)
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies (Gluten Free + Refined Sugar Free)
- Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Creamy Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Gluten-Free & Vegan Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars have an oatmeal crust and crumble with a smooth and sweet pumpkin pie filling! You’ll go nuts for this gluten-free, refined sugar-free and vegan portable pumpkin pie.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, softened
- 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
For the filling
- ¾ cup (183 grams) organic pumpkin puree, make sure it’s not canned pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, don’t stir it, and only use the coconut cream on top
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch, arrowroot starch or cornstarch work as well
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly.
- In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly but combined.
- Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for the topping. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- While it bakes, make the filling: in a blender, combine all of the ingredients for the filling and blend until fully combined.
- Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Pour on the pumpkin filling. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
- Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Equipment
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I would seriously eat that WHOLE towering stack of these bars if someone let me!! Love that crumb topping and pumpkin pie filling so much, Rachel! These are fall goals. :)
Thank you so very much for the love, Sarah!
Thank you so much for sharing yours and everyone elses recipes (now i have a bunch more folks to follow!). Looking forward to making these pumpkin bars (after wrist heals from surgery :-/
Wishing you a fast and comfortable recovery, Dorothy! Thank you so much for the kind words!
Still in a wrist brace but was able to knock out these bars… YUM!! Used cashew butter instead of almond butter, date sugar instead of coconut sugar… hubby said “these are addictive”. =)
WOW good job! Your changes sound amazing, so glad they were a hit. Thanks for your feedback, Dorothy.
YAS! I love making (and eating!) pie bars. So much less work than actually pie or making individual cookies. These sound amazing. Love the layers!
Agreeed – can’t be beat! Thanks so much Liz :)
I almost made pumpkin pie bars for this shower too but had to take a break from dessert! haha Pie bars are so much easier and I love that these are healthier — there are so many wholesome ingredients in these! They’re so rustic a beautiful!
Thank you so much Marcie! You’ve got to make some before pumpkin season is over :)
Absolutely love this recipe Rachel! It’s not so easy to find pumpkin puree in a tin in the UK, so I make my own. I’m gonna need a lot of pumpkins this year!
I hope you’ll give it a try! Thanks Debs :)
This is the best twist ever on pumpkin pie! You ladies are the best support system a girl could ever ask for — you definitely keep me as sane as possible in all the chaos!
Aw thanks Ashley!!! Can’t wait to see your newest little one :)
First of all: these bars look INCREDIBLE! I could seriously eat the whole plate (it’s for the baby, he he). Secondly, you ladies have totally made my day…you are the BEST! Thirdly, I don’t know what I would do without you all…would I even be blogging still? I’m so grateful for your friendships and for our group. Thank you, Rachel!
So grateful for you and the group too Denise!! Wishing you all the best with your newest little one :)
These bars look awesome, Rachel! Love your new site design as well!!
Thanks so much Beth!
You guys help keep me sane too!! These bars look amazing! I especially love the ice cream and nut butter drizzle on top :)
Thanks so much Izzy! :)
Omg! Can’t wait to try these!
Now, for the coconut cream part, do you just scoop off all the cream from the top of the can?
Hi Amanda, yup, you just measure out the thick creamy part from the top of the can. Enjoy!
Thank you for replying to the above comment! I had that question myself! Making these now :)
Hope you love them, Samantha!
Not only did I love them, my family loved them as well!!
Love to hear that!!
I think these bars definitely need to happen here soon – they look amazing! And I know I’ll love anything involving pumpkin pie! :)
I hope you’ll give them a try, Stacey! Thanks for the love!
I love these bars – all those crumbs are everything!
These are fantastic!!!
So glad you’re loving them, Michelle! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Hey Rachel! I just made these – so delicious! But the bottom didn’t hold together for me – it just crumbled. Any tips for binding it together better next time?
Hi Sarah, sorry that it didn’t hold well! It important to make sure it’s pressed into the bottom really well and firmly, and it should be beginning to set after the first bake. Next time, you could try baking the bottom a little longer and/or pressing the bottom crust down again firmly once it comes out of the oven. Hope this helps, and enjoy!
I’m allergic to coconut ( I know, how do I vegan w/o coconut oil??) It’s sad but it’s my reality….what you recommend as a substitute?? Plz help!! & Happy almost Thanksgiving!
Hi Haley! Hmm…that’s a tough one. You could use palm shortening or a neutral flavored cooking oil, like avocado oil or vegetable oil. Enjoy!!
Thanks so much! I know… being a coconut-less vegan is practically an oxymoron!! Do you think I could use silken tofu to replace the coconut cream?? Your help is a godsend this holiday season!! I can’t wait to make these! :-)
Hi Haley, hmm I’ve actually never used silken tofu, but from what I know if it, that should work out just fine! I’d love to hear how it goes for you :)
Sorry if I missed it, but what is the sauce you’ve used over the icecream & bars??
I actually didn’t include it here, because it was just leftover in my fridge, haha! But it’s a “caramel” sauce made from 1/2 cup cashew butter, 1/3 cup coconut oil, and 1/3 cup maple syrup, all melted and whisked together. That’s all!
You’re awesome! Thanks!!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Yum! I want to make these butmy husband has an almond allergy (in addition to gluten and dairy!!). Any recommendations to replace the almond flour and butter?
For the almond butter, you can definitely sub a different nut butter like cashew butter. For the almond flour, you can use another nut flour, like cashew flour, or try using oat flour or a GF flour blend. Hope this helps!
Hi Rachel.
Can I use arrowroot starch instead of tapioca?
Yup, that should be fine! Enjoy!
Hi! Can the coconut sugar be replaced with maple syrup? And any substitution for the coconut cream? Thanks.
Hi Hazel, unfortunately, that will change the texture and make it too wet – you’d need to add more flour but since the recipe was not developed that way, I don’t know how much you’d need to add. You could try adding another dairy-free milk in place of the coconut cream, but those are all much thinner than coconut cream so you’d add to want a little bit less.
I actually made these last night and am delighted with them! They were super easy to make and quite tasty. I plan to make them for Thanksgiving because I see them as fool proof and something usually goes wrong when I bake so I can at least be confident that I will have one delicious dessert for my guests. I did make some substitutions… I didn’t have tapioca flour so I used almond flour in the filling instead, and I also didn’t have pecans so I used chopped almonds. I’m a nutritionist and try and make things a tad bit healthier so I cut the sugar back from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup, and the coconut oil from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup. I got nervous at one point because the brand of coconut cream I used (whole foods) was all liquidy even though it was full fat, and I was sure it was going to ruin it but it still held together nicely . Thank you!
So thrilled you enjoyed them Kat, and that they worked out well with the substitutions! They are pretty foolproof :) hope they’re a hit on Thanksgiving.
Amazing! I even forgot the almond butter in the filling and they still came out great! These are a hit at my house! Thanks!
So happy to hear that Jennifer!! Thanks so much for your feedback :)
Another 5-star review to add to the others. We all absolutely loved these! What a great change from the typical pumpkin pie flavour/texture. Spice level was wonderful. I just had the last square 3 days after they were made and it tasted unbelievably good still. Almost like the spices developed even more. Very comforting, very satisfying. Love the slight crunch of the oats and pecans. Great job on this recipe!!!! Oh – only change I made was to use the equivalent amount of pumpkin pie spice mix (homemade – I had made it a few months ago) instead of the individual spices (approx 2 tsp)
So happy to read this, Vittoria! Thank you for the kind review, I appreciate it so much and I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed the bars.
I made these last year and everyone loved them, this year I want to make more but without buying a second pan–so my only option is a 10in cake pan. Has anyone tried doubling the recipe and making it in a cake pan? I feel like it could be good.. let’s see!
Hi Caroline, I haven’t tried that but they might be thick since a 10″ cake pan isn’t quite double the surface area, so you may need to bake a bit longer to get the bars to set. Hope this helps!!
Love these! I’ve made these for 2 holiday seasons now and I’m always asked for the recipe. Thank you!!
So happy to hear that, Lai! Glad they’re a hit :D
How would I modify if I am using the pumpkin pie canned pumpkin (already spiced)? Thank you in advance! I already have it so prefer to use it up.
Hi Katie, if you’re using pumpkin pie filling, you’ll want to really decrease the sweetener and the spices from the filling so it’s not too sweet or overly spiced. I haven’t tested that way, so I can’t guarantee exactly how it will turn out.
Hi! This is my first time making these for my friend who has alot of food allergies. I’m now at 45 min cook time but the filling is still runny? How much longer do I cook?
Hi Dani, the filling will firm up as it cools, but should be just barely jiggly coming out of the oven. Sometimes ovens are off-temp, so you may want to see if yours is running low if it’s taking so long! Hope you enjoy the bars.
Hi! I would love to try these, but I couldn’t find the nutrition information anywhere. I just need the amount of calories per bar, does anyone know?
Hi Cameron, you can copy and paste the recipe into a nutritional calculator like this one to find that information.
These caught my eye as something to make for my kids’ fall potluck. I wanted to make the drizzle on top as well (I saw the ingredients for that in the comments). Would I add the drizzle right before serving, or can I put it on right before putting in the fridge? I just don’t want anything to end up soggy, since I’ll likely make these the night before the event and store in the fridge. Thank you!
Hi Kelsey, you can put it on before you put it in the fridge and it should firm up pretty easily once chilled, not making anything soggy. Enjoy!!
Hi. I am trying to make these today and just realized that I have coconut milk instead of coconut cream. Should I decrease the amount of the coc. milk? I am afraid that the batter will get too watery.
Thanks!
Hi LA! You can put the can into the fridge to help the cream rise to the top, but if you use the can all mixed up, it won’t ruin the recipe or anything, will just be a little less rich. Enjoy!
Hi Rachel,
I don’t have Instagram to make mention of your Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars, but I wanted to tell you directly how DELICIOUS they are! I made a double recipe for the November birthdays celebration at work yesterday and every last bar was gone within an hour! The most amazing thing is that most of my coworkers more likely to dig into desserts with traditional ingredients and snub healthier dishes. Everyone commented on how perfect the texture was and how the bars were filling without feeling heavy and overly sweet.
As someone who has many food sensitivities, I was so happy to be able to enjoy this dessert, too :)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe— I’m looking forward to trying more from your site!
Happy Holidays to you and yours :)
Gina, Massachusetts
I love pumpkins. Thanks for this pumpkin pie recipe.
So glad you’re loving it!
Thank you for sharing such a nice recipe! It’s hard to find canned coconut milk where I live but I get the idea you only use the top solid, cream part. All I can find is boxed coconut milk, fluid… :/ Do you have any idea what I can do about it? Thank you!
Hi Kim! Hmm…I can’t guarantee how it will work, but the recipe should be okay if you use regular coconut milk. The cream just adds a little extra creaminess, but milk should still work. I hope this helps!
I tried this recipe and tastes amazing. It is a must tryyyy. Best pumpkin pecan bars ever.
So glad you’re loving them!!
This recipe is amazing!! I made these bars for a Halloween gathering yesterday and everyone loved them. I reduced the maple syrup and coconut sugar by 1/2 and they were still delicious. I’ll be making these again for sure. Thank you :-).
So glad they were a hit! Thanks for the feedback, Melissa.
Both the coconut oil and coconut sugar are coming up blank for how many cups to use. Thanks!
Fixed it! Having an issue with the recipe card here, working on a sitewide fix but it should work for this recipe now.
These bars were wonderful! Each friend that I shared some with loved them and it was great eaten solo or with some dairy free or regular ice cream on top! Next time I would love to make some coconut cream whipped topping as I’m sure that would be fabulous!!! Thank you for a great recipe–so glad I found it via Pinterest!
So glad they were a hit!!
I just made these and they came out amazing! How long do they last in the fridge for if kept in an airtight container?
Thye should keep for about 5 days to a week in an airtight container in the fridge which is where I’d recommend storing them! :)
These were delicious! I absolutely loved them. I ended up doubling the filling because I wanted them to be more substantial and it came out like a cross between pumpkin pie and a crumble so it was perfect for me!
Fabulous!! So glad you’re loving them, ML. Sounds like a delicious adjustment!
If I wanted to replace the coconut oil with butter, would I do .46 cups of butter and not .33? Also could I substitute honey or the maple syrup? And how much granulated cane sugar for coconut sugar? I’m not vegan just DF so I thought I’d ask! Thank you — looks delicious :)
Hi Lou, you’ll use the same amount of butter as you would coconut oil. You can definitely sub honey for maple syrup, and granulated sugar (or brown sugar) is fine in place of coconut sugar. Enjoy!!