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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
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
Equipment
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.
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.