Healthy Pumpkin Bars (Gluten-Free)
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These Healthy Pumpkin Bars are soft, pillowy, and gluten-free! Lightly sweetened and made with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin, oats, and chia seeds, they’re the perfect easy-to-make sweet treat loved by kids and adults alike.
It’s pumpkin season! For all you pumpkin lovers, here is a healthier pumpkin recipe you can add to your repertoire!
This Pumpkin Bar recipe is quite the hit at our house! They are just the right amount of sweet, have lots of good-for-you ingredients (like pumpkin, oats, and chia seeds!), and hold up well in lunch boxes.
I get all the feels with its’ cozy fall flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Not to mention, these bars make your house smell amazing when they’re in the oven!
I find them to be a satisfying snack or treat and something that I feel okay about giving my toddler. I actually have been having a hard time limiting how much I eat, they’re so yummy! They’re also nut-free so I can send them to preschool in our toddler’s lunch box!
Though I’m more on Team Apple than Team Pumpkin when it comes to treats, I still enjoy pumpkin desserts. When looking for some pumpkin treats to make for our family, I found it hard to find any that didn’t contain a ton of sugar. Enter me, attempting to create a healthier pumpkin treat alternative. I hope they’re helpful to your family!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these Pumpkin Oat Bars:
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The puree is unsweetened, whereas pumpkin pie filling contains added sugar. You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own.
- Quick Oats: You can use rolled oats instead of quick oats if that’s what you have on hand. If you want to, you can give them a quick blitz in a food processor to break them down slightly, but it’s not necessary.
- Chocolate Chips: Make sure to use a gluten-free chocolate chip brand to keep the recipe entirely gluten-free.
Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Nuts or Seeds: Add ¼ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds for extra texture and healthy fats.
- Dried Fruit: Toss in ¼ cup of dried cranberries or raisins for a pop of sweetness. Check the ingredient label on your dried fruit to make sure there isn’t added sugar. Dried cranberries often have added sugar (so sneaky!).
- Spices: If you love warm spices, try adding a pinch of ground ginger or nutmeg to the batter.
- Shredded Coconut: Stir in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut for extra flavor and texture.
Substitutions:
- Coconut Oil: Swap the coconut oil for melted butter or vegetable oil like avocado or olive oil if preferred.
- Egg: To make these bars vegan, replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoons water, mixed and left to sit for a few minutes until it coagulates).
- Maple Syrup: You can substitute the maple syrup with honey, agave syrup, 1/2 a banana (mashed), or an extra ¼ cup of applesauce for a no-added-sugar version (baby-led weaning tip: using banana or more applesauce, instead of maple syrup, would be a great option for baby-led weaning. Be sure to omit the chocolate chips if making them for this purpose!).
- Oats: If you don’t have quick oats, you can use rolled oats. Give them a quick blend in a food processor to break them down slightly.
- Flour: If you don’t need the recipe to be gluten-free, you can replace the gluten free flour with regular all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio. You could also use 1/4 cup whole wheat flour mixed with 3/4 cup regular flour, just to make it a little healthier.
- Chocolate Chips: You can replace the chocolate chips with cacao nibs if you want to reduce the sugar content.
Tools For This Recipe
How to Make Pumpkin Bars: Step-by-Step
For the full recipe with the exact ingredients, scroll down to the printable recipe card below!
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the quick oats, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, chia seeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, egg, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.
Step 3: Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips. Then, pour the batter into the greased 9×9 inch baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
Step 5: Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes at 375°Fahrenheit. Let the bars cool in the pan before cutting them into squares.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Don’t Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can make the bars dense.
- Check Doneness: These bars will be slightly soft and pillowy when done. A toothpick should come out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs. If it’s too wet, give them another minute or two in the oven.
- Let Them Cool: It’s tempting to dig in right away, but letting the bars cool completely in the pan helps them set and makes them easier to cut.
- Freezing the Bars: If you’re planning to freeze the bars, cut them first, then place parchment paper between layers in the container to prevent sticking.
- Make them baby-led weaning friendly: Omit the chocolate chips and replace the maple syrup with an additional 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or 1/2 of a banana, mashed.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you like your bars a bit warm, microwave them for 10-15 seconds before enjoying!
- Freezer: To freeze, allow the bars to cool completely, cut them into squares, and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or heat in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried it yet, but you could experiment by replacing the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2.5 tablespoons water).
Store these pumpkin bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes! You can swap the 1:1 gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio if you don’t need them to be gluten-free.
In a Lunch Rut?
Grab your FREE 10-Day Lunchbox Recipe Meal Plan! Great for adults and kids!
I hope you love these Healthy Pumpkin Bars! If you make them, be sure to leave a rating below so I know how you liked it! Enjoy!
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, plus more to top the bars with if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×9 inch baking dish vegetable oil spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the quick oats, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, chia seeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, egg, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Then, pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the bars. Let the bars cool in the pan before cutting them into squares.