It's pumpkin season for some of us, so consider yourself warned. Another thing: A couple of readers have asked me to post a cream cheese frosting recipe, but I can't do that without giving you something to spread it on. Hence, these pumpkin bars.
Looking at a quick list of the pumpkin cake and bread recipes I've posted in the past, there is a clearly something missing.
- Pumpkin Muffins {using coconut flour}
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Bread {almost cake}
- Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Bread {almond & coconut flour}
- Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
These bars are light, compact, and a bit on the sweet side, at least for me. So you might want to reduce the maple syrup or honey by a teaspoon or so if you find it too sweet. The cream cheese frosting is a nice balance to this tender spicy bar, but feel free to leave them naked.
My photos show a crème fraîche topping because I didn't have cream cheese on hand. I whipped 8 ounces of crème fraîche with about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup until it was light, like regular whipped cream, and then spread it over the bars. But if you're not dairy-free, the cream cheese frosting is the way to go.
In lieu of the dairy-based maple cream cheese frosting, I've also offered up a dairy-free maple frosting using soaked cashews. You'll need to prepare this one ahead of time by soaking the cashews for about 3 hours.
Julia says
These are amazing!! I made a double batch-gone!! Kids love them and I cannot get them to eat veggies normally. Making a quadruple batch now and freezing for lunches. My frosting ended up runny tho with the syrup added- thoughts on this? Don't think I need the syrup, really.
Erica says
you might be right about the dairy-free frosting - I refrigerate it and frost so it's thicker. I think it could work well with less syrup and apple juice, and maybe add cinnamon to up the sweetness. I'll revisit this.
Tracey F. says
I thought maple syrup was NOT SCD legal?
Erica says
correct, maple syrup is not SCD legal. Use honey instead.
AniaK says
I've never made a cashew frosting before and really wanted to try it. I followed all the steps, but it came out incredibly runny. What could have happened? Could I have soaked the cashews too long? And how does one fix such a problem in cashew frosting?
Erica says
yes, it is a bit thinner. I usually put it in the refrigerator before using it. You would need to reduce the liquid in it (like the apple juice). I just edited the amount of apple juice to thicken it. It should still be sweet enough.
bree says
Looks amazing. Would flax eggs work in place of egg? Im on a strict elimination diet for nursing.
Erica says
I'm pretty sure it will work. Flax eggs work really well with light coconut flour recipes, in general. Maybe someone else can chime in.
Erin says
My daughter and I just sampled a fresh batch of these pumpkin bars with the frosting. Yum! A new favorite fall treat! Thanks for another terrific recipe.
Alanna says
These pumpkin bars look delicious, and I love that ingredient list - yum!
Dina says
These look delish. Any chance I could use almond flour instead? I'm not a fan of coconut and sadly I miss out on super yummy treats like these.
Erica says
See my pumpkin bread 2.0 and original recipe using almond flour, you can bake them in an 8 or 9-inch square or rectangular baking pan.
Dina says
Thank you so much!!! I will do that immediately.!!
Mary says
I served these to my mom & in-laws last night and they were a hit! They took 38 minutes in the oven at 350 to cook all the way through, and they were very moist. I think when I make these next I'll reduce the maple syrup by two tablespoons or even 1/4 cup. Also, in the icing, I added 1/4 tsp of Penzey's double strength vanilla, which is equivalent to 1/2 tsp of commercial vanilla, because everything is always better with vanilla. My mother-in-law commented that she would not know they were gluten-free if I had not told them. Thanks for the great recipe!
Erica says
Yes, these are moist. I have also reduced the maple syrup by 1 tablespoon and others have as well - see the comments—one person went from 3/4 to 1/4 of maple syrup with great results.
Mary says
I just made these again tonight and reduced the maple syrup in the bars according to the new instructions. I'm liking them a lot better with less moisture! They turned out great with only 1/2 cup maple syrup.
Beth says
I just made these, and they are delicious! I used only 1/4 cup of maple syrup in all, and felt no need to add more upon tasting the scrumptious batter. And although when I make them again, I will plan ahead and try them with frosting, they were perfect with a drizzle of coconut milk, maple syrup and a tiny sea salt sprinkle. Thanks for sharing!
Erica says
Great to hear! wow, you were able to reduce the sweetener quite a bit and i guess it wasn't dry. I'll have to try it 🙂
Christina Johnson says
I am on day 3 of intro diet for scd. My ears have sooo much pressure they feel like they are going to pop. Is that normal??
Erica says
sorry, I haven't heard that before