No Bake Pumpkin Bars: Gluten-Free, Vegan, & No Refined Sugar!

 

Today I give to you a delicious pumpkin dessert recipe just in time for Thanksgiving! If you are trying to make a dish your gluten-free aunt, vegan cousin, and everyone in between will enjoy, then you can breathe a sigh of relief–your search is over (that’s one more thing to be thankful for).  These festive no-bake bars may be gluten-free, vegan, and contain zero refined sweeteners, but they are definitely not lacking in flavor or sweetness from a lot of natural, and healthy ingredients!

 

The crust is made from oats, pecans, dates, and coconut oil, which also doubles as a crumbly topping. The pumpkin filling is made from pumpkin puree, dates, banana, real maple syrup, and coconut oil. The coconut oil helps the filling set up without needing eggs or cream cheese. I wouldn’t go so far as to say these bars are low fat or necessarily low calorie (because they aren’t), but the fat is coming from heart healthy pecans and unrefined coconut oil, which is way better for you than the trans-fat laden shortening found in most crusts. Plenty of sweetness comes from the dates and banana, which are naturally sweet and nutrient-dense foods. The added maple syrup gives it that classic pumpkin pie taste, and adds even more sweetness, plus a little extra minerals like calcium, manganese, and zinc that are absent in your white sugar. So go ahead and get cooking (or not cooking, since no oven is required) and you will have a crowd-pleasing dessert in under 30 minutes.

 

 

 

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{No Bake Pumpkin Bars: Gluten-Free, Vegan & No Refined Sugar!}. 

This is a delicious pumpkin dessert recipe filled with good for you ingredients. Plus it’s gluten-free, vegan, and is naturally sweetened with dates, banana, and real maple syrup, so it will satisfy most of your friends and family on a special diet. You would never guess these tasty bars are filled with healthy ingredients, because they are still plenty sweet and super flavorful. The pecan and oat crust and topping add the perfect amount of flavor to the pumpkin filling!

 

Adapted from: No Bake Pumpkin Butter Oat Bars

 

Servings: 12

 

Ingredients

 

Crust & topping

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup pecans

1 cup tightly packed pitted dates

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

 

Pumpkin Filling

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 very ripe banana

1/3 cup tightly packed pitted dates

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

 

Directions

For crust & topping: In a food processor combine oats and pecans until crumbly, then add in the pitted dates, and process again until dates are finely ground, finally add melted coconut oil and process until combined. (I had to do this in two batches because I have a small food processor, I mixed 1/2 the melted coconut oil in each oat/pecan/date batch and then combined the batches). Reserve 3/4 cup of oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into an 8×8 square pan. 

 

For pumpkin filling: In a food processor or high-powered blender combine all the pumpkin filling ingredients and process until smooth. You shouldn’t see any date chunks. (This took a couple minutes in my cheapo food processor, but still worked great). Spread pumpkin mixture over crust, and sprinkle reserved oat topping over pumpkin layer. Refrigerate for several hours before cutting and serving to allow coconut oil to harden and set up the pumpkin filling.

 

 

Nutrition info per serving: 335 cal,  18 g fat, 41 g carb, 4 g protein, 5 g fiber

 

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