Delicious, easy vegan pumpkin bars filled with warm pumpkin spices and topped with the best dairy-free cream cheese frosting. Make these thick, moist, eggless pumpkin cake bars during the holidays for a crowd, as a potluck contribution, or just to treat yourself and your family! This simple vegan dessert recipe can also be made gluten-free.
1 ½cups (210g)gluten free flour blend OR all-purpose white flour(if using all-purpose flour, use 1 ½ cups (188g), **please see important notes about flour below**
Line an 8" x 8" square baking pan with parchment paper and make an overhang on all sides so removing the bars will be easy, set aside.
Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add the pumpkin purée, sugar, oil, vanilla, and flax eggs. Mix well until everything has combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a thick batter has formed. Don't over-mix.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread it evenly, and smooth out the top.
Bake for 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to overbake.
Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the cake from the pan, and place it on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting, slicing, and serving.
While the bars are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Once fully cooled, frost (make the layer as thick or thin as you'd like and save any leftover frosting for another recipe).
Slice the bars into 9 (or more) squares.
Notes
Please read all of the information and FAQ info above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
This recipe makes 9 bars but you can cut the pieces smaller if you'd like.
The cup amount for both types of flour is the same but the weights are different because they have different properties and densities. If you are baking by weight, please take note of each weight and weigh your flour correctly.
If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the red bag, NOT the blue bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another gluten-free flour blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use the following in its place: 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground ginger.
Use unsweetened pure pumpkin purée for this recipe, NOT pumpkin pie filling. You can use canned purée or you can make homemade pumpkin purée. If you do not have access to pumpkin, you can use a different puréed squash, like butternut squash. If you're using homemade purée and it's runny, not firm, line a colander with cheesecloth and put your purée in. Place the colander over a large bowl and let it sit for 30-60 minutes so some of the extra moisture drains out.
Brown sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar, however, each type of sugar calls for a different amount, so make sure to use the correct amount for the type you are using.
Any type of neutral-flavoured oil can be used, such as safflower or sunflower. Melted coconut oil can also be used, but if you do use coconut oil, make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn't harden when it's added to the recipe.
I recommend dairy-free cream cheese frosting for the bars, but you can use whatever type you'd like. Find other vegan frosting recipes here. If you don't want to use frosting, that's okay, you can dust the tops of each slice with powdered sugar just before serving or you can leave the tops plain.
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days, the gluten-free version will keep for 4 days. Serve cold or bring to room temperature before serving. If you are not frosting the bars, they can be kept at room temperature.
Freezing: Once fully cooled, don't slice into bars, and don't frost, instead, wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap so it's airtight, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to two months. When you're ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, then frost.
Nutrition info is based on 1 of 9 bars made with gluten-free flour, coconut sugar, and without frosting and with the recipe made as written. The bars made with all-purpose flour have a calorie count of 189 per serving. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.