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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 would seriously eat that WHOLE towering stack of these bars if someone let me!! Love that crumb topping and pumpkin pie filling so much, Rachel! These are fall goals. :)
Thank you so very much for the love, Sarah!
Thank you so much for sharing yours and everyone elses recipes (now i have a bunch more folks to follow!). Looking forward to making these pumpkin bars (after wrist heals from surgery :-/
Wishing you a fast and comfortable recovery, Dorothy! Thank you so much for the kind words!
Still in a wrist brace but was able to knock out these bars… YUM!! Used cashew butter instead of almond butter, date sugar instead of coconut sugar… hubby said “these are addictive”. =)
WOW good job! Your changes sound amazing, so glad they were a hit. Thanks for your feedback, Dorothy.
YAS! I love making (and eating!) pie bars. So much less work than actually pie or making individual cookies. These sound amazing. Love the layers!
Agreeed – can’t be beat! Thanks so much Liz :)
I almost made pumpkin pie bars for this shower too but had to take a break from dessert! haha Pie bars are so much easier and I love that these are healthier — there are so many wholesome ingredients in these! They’re so rustic a beautiful!
Thank you so much Marcie! You’ve got to make some before pumpkin season is over :)
Absolutely love this recipe Rachel! It’s not so easy to find pumpkin puree in a tin in the UK, so I make my own. I’m gonna need a lot of pumpkins this year!
I hope you’ll give it a try! Thanks Debs :)
This is the best twist ever on pumpkin pie! You ladies are the best support system a girl could ever ask for — you definitely keep me as sane as possible in all the chaos!
Aw thanks Ashley!!! Can’t wait to see your newest little one :)
First of all: these bars look INCREDIBLE! I could seriously eat the whole plate (it’s for the baby, he he). Secondly, you ladies have totally made my day…you are the BEST! Thirdly, I don’t know what I would do without you all…would I even be blogging still? I’m so grateful for your friendships and for our group. Thank you, Rachel!
So grateful for you and the group too Denise!! Wishing you all the best with your newest little one :)
These bars look awesome, Rachel! Love your new site design as well!!
Thanks so much Beth!
You guys help keep me sane too!! These bars look amazing! I especially love the ice cream and nut butter drizzle on top :)
Thanks so much Izzy! :)
Omg! Can’t wait to try these!
Now, for the coconut cream part, do you just scoop off all the cream from the top of the can?
Hi Amanda, yup, you just measure out the thick creamy part from the top of the can. Enjoy!
Thank you for replying to the above comment! I had that question myself! Making these now :)
Hope you love them, Samantha!
Not only did I love them, my family loved them as well!!
Love to hear that!!