Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars Recipe - Dr. Axe

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars Recipe

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Pumpkin bars - Dr. Axe

Pumpkin season is upon us, and what better way to get into the season than by making these delicious pumpkin bars?

Pumpkins were first discovered and cultivated around 7,500 years ago in Central America and Mexico and were cherished for their versatility and longevity. Our ancestors cultivated the pumpkin for its thick flesh that was ideal for times of scarcity and later used the pumpkin seeds that are packed with nutritional benefits.

The first pumpkin recipe published in America came from John Josselyn’s “New England’s Rarities Discovered” with diced pumpkin cooked down all day with butter and spices. It wasn’t until the 1800s that pumpkin was made into sweet pumpkin dishes like pumpkin pie and the modern-day pumpkin bars and pumpkin dessert bars.

Gluten-free pumpkin bars are a delightful relative to pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie bars, and my pumpkin bars are easy to make with a simple gluten-free crust that doesn’t require messing with cold butter and wheat flour. As an added bonus, the filling ingredients only require a blender or mixer!

These easy pumpkin bars are just like pumpkin cheesecake bars without any of the complications and will be a crowd pleaser for holiday gatherings and parties.

Key ingredients

Want to make your pumpkin bars healthy? These gluten-free pumpkin cream cheese bars are about as healthy as you can get with such a tasty dessert.

I use organic pumpkin purée, which is loaded with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is necessary to convert into vitamin A, which is important for vision, skin and brain function.

Grass-fed cream cheese and mascarpone contain fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K2 and higher amounts of short-chain fatty acids, CLA and omega-3s, which contribute to heart health and help lower inflammation in the body. (Try our pumpkin pie cheesecake that also uses this cream cheese along with goat cheese.)

Instead of using refined cane sugar or corn syrup, I use maple syrup, which is a natural sweetener and has a lower glycemic impact on the body. It also contains more minerals and antioxidants than regular sugar.

Free-range eggs provide omega fatty acids and help reduce heart disease.

Cloves kill parasites, improve blood circulation and reduce gum disease, and those are just a few benefits that cloves provide to your body. Meanwhile, vanilla is a powerful antioxidant and natural antibiotic and adds depth and a warm flavor to your pumpkin bar recipe.

How to make pumpkin bars

Pumpkin bars ingredients - Dr. Axe

Start out by making the simple gluten-free pie crust and adding it to the bottom of a 9×13 or 8×8 baking dish. The crust will be thicker in an 8×8 dish.

Bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes, and begin making your filling.

Pumpkin bars step 1 - Dr. Axe

Add your cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and cloves to a high-speed blender or food processor, and blend away.

You want the filling batter to be smooth and creamy.

Pumpkin bars step 3 - Dr. Axe

Remove your crust from the oven, and add in your pumpkin bar filling.

Pumpkin bars step 4 - Dr. Axe

Instead of gluten-free pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, we just added the cream cheese to the bars. Place the whole dish into the oven, and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Pumpkin bars recipe - Dr. Axe

Top your pumpkin bars with coconut whipped cream, if desired.

Looking for other healthy snack bars? Try these recipes:

Other pumpkin recipes

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Pumpkin bars - Dr. Axe

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars Recipe


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  • Author: Dr. Josh Axe
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Pumpkin bars are a delightful relative to pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie bars. Mine are easy to make with a simple gluten-free crust.


Ingredients

Scale

Crust:

Filling:

  • 16 ounces grass-fed cream cheese
  • 8 ounces grass-fed mascarpone cheese
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves

Topping:


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Prepare crust and bake in a 9×13 or 8×8 baking dish for 15 minutes. (Note: Crust will be thicker in an 8×8 dish.)
  3. In a food processor, add in cream cheese, mascarpone, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
  4. Process ingredients until completely smooth.
  5. Remove crust from oven and fill with cream cheese mixture.
  6. Place the bars back in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Top with whipped coconut cream, if desired.
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 65 min
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 152g
  • Calories: 424
  • Sugar: 13.4g
  • Sodium: 325mg
  • Fat: 31.7g
  • Saturated Fat: 19.6g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 11.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 27.7g
  • Fiber: 3.1g
  • Protein: 8.5g
  • Cholesterol: 140mg

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6 Comments

    • Kjay on

      Maple syrup is basically sugar though… I don’t see how it one could make a sugar free maple syrup without seriously compromising it. I imagine a sugar free maple syrup would be an unhealthy, synthetic product that isn’t really maple syrup at all. That being said, I’ve heard in small doses, maple syrup is good for people. If you want, you could try replacing it with another sweetener such as monkfruit or stevia.

      Reply
  1. Cherie on

    Besides gluten, I am also dairy sensitive. What can I use to replace the mascarpone cheese in the pumpkin bar recipe?

    Reply

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