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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.
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