Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars {Dairy-Free Option}

5 from 19 votes
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An easy recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. This classic pumpkin gluten-free dessert also has a dairy-free option.

gluten-free pumpkin bar on a white plate with the pan of bars in the background.

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars

Gluten-free pumpkin bars are a cross between pumpkin cake and pumpkin bread. It’s a type of dessert bar that can be picked up and eaten, but it is still moist like a cake. If you have enjoyed my Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread and Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake, then you are going to love these pumpkin bars!

You can see in the recipe video just how easy it is to make these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.

gluten-free pumpkin bars recipe steps photo collage

How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10 x 15-inch baking pan with gluten-free cooking spray. Or line the pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the canned pumpkin, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, pure vanilla extract, until fully combined.
  • Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until fully combined. (photo 1)
  • Add the eggs and mix until combined.
  • Add the gluten-free flour and mix until combined.
  • Add the vegetable oil mix until well blended. (or 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/2 cup vegetable oil) (photo 2)
  • Pour into the greased 15 x 10-inch. or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. (photo 3)
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting or cutting. (photo 4)
  • Store leftovers in an air-tight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully smooth. (photo 5)
  • Once the bars are completely cooled, spread the frosting over the pumpkin bars. (photo 6)

Can I use pumpkin pie filling in this gluten-free pumpkin bar recipe?

Unfortunately not. You cannot use pumpkin pie filling in this recipe instead of canned pumpkin puree.

What’s the difference between Pumpkin pie filling (or mix) and canned pumpkin puree?

Canned pumpkin is plain pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling has added spices and is pre-sweetened.

Tips On How To Make The Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin  Bars

  • These pumpkin bars are best made in a 10 × 15 inch baking pan. I have an OXO jelly roll pan. You can also make them in a 9 x 13-inch pan, and they will just be a thicker bar.
  • Always grease your pan. I use gluten-free coconut oil cooking spray. You can also line the pan with parchment paper.
  • You can cut down on the vegetable oil by using 1/2 cup of apple sauce and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
  • Allow these bars to completely cool before frosting them or cutting. I often make them the night before.
  • You can add your favorite mixins like chocolate chips or raisins.
  • Instead of frosting, you can sprinkle the top of the bars with powdered sugar.
  • Want to save time by skipping out on making homemade cream cheese frosting? Try the Pillsbury canned cream cheese frosting. It is both gluten-free and dairy-free. Always check the label.

Can You Make Pumpkin Bars Ahead Of Time?

These pumpkin bars can be easily made ahead of time. I often make them the night before. Once the bars are completely cooled, wrap with plastic wrap and leave on the countertop.

Can I Freeze Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars?

You sure can! Once the pumpkin bars are completely cooled, wrap the unfrosted pumpkin muffins tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. The pumpkin bars can be frozen for up to three months.

You can defrost the pumpkin bars in the refrigerator overnight or on your kitchen counter at room temperature for several hours.

These gluten-free pumpkin bars were made with Pillsbury gluten-free flour which is a rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has the xanthan gum and starches in it.

Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have the starches and the xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.

So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour as not to add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you do, you will get gummy pumpkin bars!

My favorite preferred gluten-free flour is Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.

I have not tried this recipe with almond, coconut, or oat flour.

Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour

It is super important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure gluten-free flour.

I always measure gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method. I use a large spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.

Please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.

Dairy-Free Baking

These pumpkin bars are naturally dairy-free because they are made with vegetable oil.

I have also included a dairy-free option for the cream cheese frosting recipe.  Most of my family are also dairy-free (including me), so I always try and have a dairy-free option for my gluten-free recipes.

For the dairy-free option, I used Kite Hill cream cheese and Smart Balance butter. Dairy-free cream cheese can be hard to find and is also expensive. You can substitute Pillsbury canned cream cheese frosting or the dairy-free buttercream frosting from my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes recipe.

Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are unsweetened almond or coconut milk. I also like baking with coconut oil or Smart Balance butter.

gluten-free pumpkin bar with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with a pan of bars

Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars

I love how easy these gluten-free pumpkin bars are to make. They are full of the pumpkin spice flavor that everyone loves. I can’t resist the creamy, cream cheese frosting too!

Looking For More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes?

More Easy Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes To Try!

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5 from 19 votes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting {Dairy-Free Option}

Servings: 24 bars
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
gluten-free pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with the pan of bars in the background
An easy recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. This classic pumpkin gluten-free dessert also has a dairy-free option.

Ingredients 

Pumpkin Bars

  • 1 15-ounce can canned pumpkin, Not pumpkin pie filling.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
  • 1 cup vegetable oil, You can also use 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/2 cup of oil in place of the whole cut of oil.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened, For dairy-free I used Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese.
  • 1/2 cup butter, For dairy-free I used Smart Balance.
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, You may need to add another cup or two of the powdered sugar depending on which brand of dairy-free cream cheese you use because it is very soft.
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10 x 15-inch baking pan with gluten-free cooking spray. Or line the pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the canned pumpkin, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and pure vanilla extract until fully combined.
  • Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until fully combined.
  • Add the eggs and mix until combined.
  • Add the gluten-free flour and mix until combined.
  • Add the vegetable oil mix until well blended. (or 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/2 cup vegetable oil)
  • Pour into the greased 15 x 10-inch. or 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting or cutting.
  • Store leftovers in an air-tight container or cover with plastic wrap refrigerate.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar and beat until fully smooth.
  • Once the bars are completely cooled spread the frosting over the pumpkin bars.

Video

Notes

  • I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
  • For the dairy-free option, I used Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese and Smart Balance. I often buy the Pillsbury canned cream cheese frosting as a short cut.
  • Store leftovers in an air-tight container or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
  • To freeze: once the bars are completely cooled, wrap with foil or plastic wrap and then place a plastic freezer bag. The bars can be defrosted in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Mama says, "always check your labels!"

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 256kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 154IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @mamaknowsglutenfree or tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!

About Audrey Roberts

I'm Audrey Roberts, a busy mama of four and I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. I make gluten-free family-friendly recipes that are simple and delicious that you can too! I use easy to find ingredients that won't break your budget. You will also find dairy-free options and Paleo recipes. I am also the author of The Everything Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cookbook, which is an Amazon Best Selling Cookbook in the US and Internationally. Living gluten-free since 2010. I hope by me sharing my journey it may help you with yours.

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22 Comments

  1. I made these Gluten Free and Dairy Free. They were a big hit with my family. I will be making them again. One question though, after I refrigerated them to serve the following day, they seemed to lose moisture in the cake part and were dry. A definite difference from the day before. Any suggestions for next time?

  2. Fantastic! Lovely texture and love the spices. Ii used half applesauce and half olive/avacado oil; used 3/4 cup monk fruit/erythritol sweetener plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup & 1 Tbsp molasses (to replace brown sugar.) Perfect amount of sweetness for me. For the frosting I used ViolaLife dairy free cream cheese, Earth Balance & monk fruit powdered sugar; but only made half the frosting recipe. I made mine in a 9 x 13โ€ pan and had to bake an extra 10 minutes. I froze half of it and saved some of the frosting for another day. My husband loves it even though he isnโ€™t gluten free.

  3. I thought the baking sheet looked to full so I took some out. End result was thinner, so I layer with raspberry jam , topped with cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts. It was divine! Thank you for the recipe!

  4. I am the one who needs to eat gluten free. My husband just eats gluten free t make it easy. He LOVED these bars. A couple of weeks ago I had made them using a different recipe. He said yours is definitely a keeper! Wonderful flavor and texture. Love the frosting! Thank you!

  5. Amazingly tasty and moist! Cannot even tell they are GF. I used 1/2 c. applesauce and 1/2 coconut oil. Followed the rest of the recipe as stated, except my GF flour was Bob’s Red Mill.

  6. Substituted sugars for 1 scant cup coconut sugar and about 3 Tbsp maple syrup. I also didn’t have veggie oil so I used 1/4 c olive oil and 3/4 c softened coconut oil. Recipe made 16 muffins and a 8ร—8in pan and took about 20 min in my oven.

  7. I have Celiac and my wife found this recipe from Mama knows gluten free. We made them for thanksgiving 2022. Everyone who ate them went back for more! Its now Christmas and we have been requested to make them again! Seems like everyone who eats them loves the delicious flavor and moistness. Thank You Mama!

  8. This pumpkin bar recipe is AMAZING! Pumpkin Bars were always something I looked forward to eating at Thanksgiving but after going GF and DF 6 years ago I couldn’t eat them using my original recipe. I found this recipe while on your Instagram account and made them this past Thanksgiving! I almost teared up with happiness! They were so good!! No one even knew they were GF/DF. Thank you for showing us recipes we can adapt to our new lifestyle. It makes us feel not so left out, especially going to events such as birthday parties, holidays, etc. We appreciate you sharing your recipes with us! God Bless!

  9. This recipe is simply wonderful! I used 1/2 oil (grape seed) and 1/2 cinnamon applesauce with dairy free cream cheese and Earth Balance substituted for butter. And since we usually like less frosting than many folks, I made only 1/2 of that recipe and there was plenty for bars made in a 9×13 pan. Thanks so much for working so hard to perfect these recipes and for sharing them!!!

  10. I made these for a family event and everyone loved them. They ate them all, and most people didnโ€™t know they were gluten free. I replaced 1/4 of the oil with apple sauce, but I want to try replacing 1/2 as suggested! Anyhow, so yummy. Thanks a bunch!

  11. THIS was such an amazing recipe!! I made it for company and everyone was raving about it. Very moist! oh so good. you’d never guess it was gluten free!!! I am so grateful for this blog. I stumbled upon it after my husband was diagnosed with celiac 2 years ago, and every recipe on this blog has been EXCELLENT! Thank you. ๐Ÿ’—

  12. Everyone loves these pumpkin bars! Frosting is amazing too! I love the hints you include for working with gluten free ingredients, they are very helpful.

  13. This recipe is fantastic! Moist and delicious! It is so nice to have these during the holiday season again. Thank you!

  14. These turned out AMAZING for me!! I used bobs red mill 1:1 flour and it turned out so rich and moist. You would have no idea they were gluten free. My family devoured these – I will be saving and using this recipe again!

  15. Delicious! Just like a pumpkin roll but less fussing. I used cup4cup AP flour – came out great! Thank you for a fabulous and relatively easy recipe!

  16. Amazing recipe!! I tried it for the first time tonight. I used the Bobโ€™s Red Mill Egg Replacer and monkfruit as sugar replacement and swerve brown sugar as brown sugar replacement! Then added Lilyโ€™s sugar free chocolate chips! So gooooood!!

  17. This is like my hundredth time making these! Never fails, never disappoints. These are SO rich and moist! If you like fudgy brownies over the “cakey” recipes (like me) you’ll love these pumpkin bars! this was the best I’ve ever had, even remembering when I could have gluten! Definite brownie points (or pumpkin points? Lol ) for this recipe. Noone knows they’re GF!! Mama definitely knows gluten free ๐Ÿ˜‰ THANK YOU FOR SHARING and helping those of us on our never ending quest for SENSATIONAL treats!

  18. OMG these were delicious! Attempting a gluten free thanksgiving this year for my MIL and did a trial run of these last weekend! My husband ate multiple bars before I told him they were gluten free! Thats a win! 10/10!

  19. OMG! Absolutely delicious. I used a dairy free cream cheese and it did not disappoint. Great recipe as always!