Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Published Nov 12, 2023
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A sweet and easy gluten-free pumpkin bars recipe for any festive occasion! Light and fluffy pumpkin cake squares filled with pumpkin pie flavors and topped with cream cheese icing–the ultimate dessert for a cozy Fall season!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
A light, fluffy, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bar Recipe topped with delicious Cream Cheese Frosting. All the pumpkin pie flavors, the soft, moist cake texture, and a sweet and creamy topping– what could be better than that?!
These gluten-free pumpkin squares are a lightened-up version, made with applesauce instead of oil and simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand. I’ve included dairy-free and low-sugar options so you can customize this dessert to your dietary needs, taste, and preferences!
These take just a few minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake—the perfect dessert for Fall holidays, potlucks, and gatherings big or small!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-free flour blend: I always test and recommend all-in-one blends that are a 1:1 swap with all-purpose flour. My favorite brand is Bob Red’s Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour. My other favorite all-in-one blends include Cup4Cup gluten-free flour and King Arthur gluten-free flour.
- White sugar: For low sugar, replace with Swerve. It’s a 1:1 swap.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice: This spice blend is a mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. It’s typically pretty easy to find in stores, but you can always make your own. See expert tips for the recipe.
- Eggs
- Canned pumpkin puree: Make sure this is a plain can of unsweetened pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Unsweetened apple sauce: I use applesauce instead of coconut oil or another cooking oil for a lightened-up version of your typical pumpkin cake bar.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Softened to room temperature.
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar: You can substitute maple syrup to taste for a natural sugar option.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Combine the wet ingredients: granulated sugar, canned pumpkin, applesauce, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a separate large bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the pumpkin bars have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the top. Cut the bars into squares or rectangles. Enjoy!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter together until creamy and smooth with an electric hand mixer.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until the icing is well combined and smooth.
Mac’s Pro TipS
Expert Tips
- Dairy-Free: The recipe for the pumpkin bars is completely dairy-free. If you want to make the cream cheese frosting dairy-free, substitute vegan butter and non-dairy cream cheese as alternatives to regular cream cheese and butter.
- Low-Sugar: For a low-sugar option, substitute Swerve granulated sugar for the white sugar in the pumpkin bars and Swerve powdered sugar for the powdered sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: When you choose a gluten-free flour blend, make sure that you look for 1:1 blends. This means they are a direct substitute for regular all-purpose flour and contain xanthan gum, which is a key ingredient in gluten-free baking. It helps with the structure and texture of gluten-free baked goods (which is the job of gluten in wheat flour).
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1.5 tsp ground allspice, and 1.5 tsp ground cloves. Combine in a small bowl, then use 2 tsp in this recipe and save the rest in your spice cabinet.
- Mixins: Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips into your pumpkin bar batter.
Serving Tips
After your pumpkin bars have cooled completely, frost and serve. Dust with extra pumpkin pie spice and top with chopped nuts or chocolate chips, or by themselves!
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze, wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw and serve!
They can if the right ingredients aren’t used. Traditional cupcakes are made with wheat flour and contain gluten which adds to the structure of baked goods. That’s why it’s super important to use a gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum. If using the right flour, your cupcakes and other gluten-free desserts will taste the same! I test all my gluten-free flours to make sure they work well, so if you use one of the brands I recommend, you should have no issues.
I always test and recommend all in one blends that are a 1:1 swap with all purpose flour. My favorite brand is Bob Red’s Mill Gluten-Free1:1 Baking Flour. My other favorite all-in-one blends include, Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, and King Arthur Gluten-Free.
For sure! Simple swap regular all purpose flour for the gluten free. It is a 1:1 swap.
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes
If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 2 cups gluten-free I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 baking flour
- 11/2 cup white sugar* for low sugar replace with Swerve, it's a 1:1 swap
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz block cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2` tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, canned pumpkin, applesauce, and eggs. Mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the pumpkin bars have cooled completely, spread the cream cheese icing evenly over the top. Cut the bars into squares or rectangles. Enjoy!
Cream Cheese Icing
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter together until creamy and smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until the icing is well combined and smooth.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Dairy-Free: The recipe for the pumpkin bars is completely dairy-free. If you want to make the cream cheese frosting dairy-free, substitute vegan butter and non-dairy cream cheese as alternatives to regular cream cheese and butter.
- Low-Sugar: For a low-sugar option, substitute Swerve granulated sugar for the white sugar in the pumpkin bars and Swerve powdered sugar for the powdered sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: When you choose a gluten-free flour blend, make sure that you look for 1:1 blends. This means they are a direct substitute for regular all-purpose flour and contain xanthan gum, which is a key ingredient in gluten-free baking. It helps with the structure and texture of gluten-free baked goods (which is the job of gluten in wheat flour).
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: 3 tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1.5 tsp ground allspice, and 1.5 tsp ground cloves. Combine in a small bowl, then use 2 tsp in this recipe and save the rest in your spice cabinet.
- Mixins: Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips into your pumpkin bar batter.
Serving Tips
After your pumpkin bars have cooled completely, frost and serve. Dust with extra pumpkin pie spice and top with chopped nuts or chocolate chips, or by themselves!Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. To freeze, wrap individually in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw and serve!Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so moist and delicious. The cream cheese icing was such a nice balance.
Blown away by this recipe! I used Swerve sugar and they didn’t last long at all. My boyfriend wants them again next weekend.
This makes me so happy. Thank you so much!