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GET IT NOWMy Healthy Pumpkin Bars Are Super Moist With No Refined Sugar
These healthy pumpkin bars started out as my shortcut when I didn’t have time to make a classic pumpkin pie. I wanted that same cozy flavor, but in a quick and easy format. After a few tests with different flours and sweeteners, I found the combo that worked and now these are the bars I make on repeat every fall. They’re soft, spiced, and finished with a dreamy cream cheese frosting that nobody ever guesses is sugar free. Here’s why I think you’ll love them, too:
- Pumpkin spice + tangy frosting – The warm fall spices in these pumpkin bars pair perfectly with the creamy, tangy frosting, giving each bite that sweet-meets-spice balance you’ll love.
- Super moist, cakey texture – These bake up soft, tender, and moist. The consistency reminds me of pumpkin cake, but thinner and easier to slice and share.
- Better-for-you ingredients – Wholesome Yum Superfine Almond Flour and Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (both granulated and powdered) give these healthy pumpkin bars an amazing taste and texture, but in a gluten-free, no-refined-sugar way.
- Quick prep – I can whip up the batter in about 10 minutes, and unlike my almond flour pumpkin muffins, these bars are faster since I don’t have to portion individual cups. They’re perfect for last-minute get-togethers or a healthy weekday dessert.
Whether you’re baking for a fall gathering or just want something sweet with your bulletproof coffee, grab a pan and make this pumpkin bars recipe with me!
Reader Review
“Fantastic recipe! I’ve made these several times, exactly as directed, and they are delicious. I use the butter option and I find that the frosting is perfectly creamy without the addition of the heavy cream. A sprinkling of chopped walnuts over the top makes a nice garnish. Thank you, Maya, for this one. It’s a winner!” –Katherine
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my healthy pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – Some recipes use oats or oat flour, but I love the soft consistency from my almond flour. Just note that brands vary and some are grainier — this one I use is super fine. You can swap half for oat flour if you’re not watching carbs. I don’t recommend coconut flour, though; it’s way too dry for these ingredient ratios.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Sweetens like sugar, but without the spike. It also locks in moisture, which helps the bars stay soft. Other sweeteners can work (check my conversion chart), but avoid liquid ones like maple syrup because the bars won’t hold together.
- Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to measure 1 cup, not a full can. If you need ideas for the rest of the can, check out my other pumpkin recipes.
- Coconut Oil – This keeps the bars soft and moist. If you don’t love the coconut flavor, swap in refined coconut oil or even unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese – I added this to the bar layer for tang, softness, and richness. A dairy-free cream cheese alternative should work if needed.
- Eggs – You can substitute flax eggs, but these healthy pumpkin bars turn out more fragile with them.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – A cozy mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Store-bought works fine, but my homemade pumpkin pie spice is easy, too.
- Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder, & Sea Salt
- Cream Cheese Frosting – I make this with cream cheese, Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (which is key because it dissolves and doesn’t leave a gritty texture like most sweeteners do), vanilla extract, and heavy cream to thin it out as needed.
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Bars
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Melt the cream cheese and coconut oil. You can microwave in short bursts, or use a double boiler on the stove. Stir smooth.
- Beat the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin puree, warm cream cheese mixture, eggs, and vanilla with a hand mixer, until smooth.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, Besti, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and sea salt.
- Combine the wet and dry. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and beat the batter at low speed, until just combined.
- Bake. Transfer batter to a baking pan (this is the one I use) lined with parchment paper, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the pumpkin bars in the oven, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Make the frosting. With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, powdered Besti, and vanilla, until smooth. If needed, thin out with a splash of cream.
- Frost the bars. Once the healthy pumpkin bars are completely cooled, spread the frosting over them. Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if you like, and slice.
My Recipe Tips
- Use room-temperature ingredients. I let the eggs, cream cheese, and coconut oil sit out, so they blend smoothly. If I forget the eggs, I pop them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. You can fill a stainless steel bowl with boiling water, empty and dry, and then place upside down over the cream cheese and coconut oil on a plate, which helps them come to room temp quickly.
- PSA: The pumpkin puree is 1 cup, not a full can! Level it off when measuring. If I have extra, I use it to make a pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin muffins.
- I bake these in a 9×9-inch square pan for the perfect thickness (mine’s warp-resistant and nonstick). If you use an 8×8, add a few minutes to the bake time. If you use a 9×13, these healthy pumpkin bars will be thinner, so start checking around 20-25 minutes. Either way, pull them when a toothpick comes out clean.
- I like to line the pan with parchment with a little overhang off the sides. This makes it easy to lift the slab out to a board and make clean cuts.
- Not into cream cheese frosting? Skip it, or swipe on my sugar-free buttercream instead.
- Want some crunch? Sprinkle the cooled pumpkin bars with toasted pecans or walnuts, or a handful of sugar-free mini chocolate chips. You can also fold them into the batter as mix-ins.
- Cool before frosting. I know it’s tempting, but wait until the bars are fully cool, or the frosting will melt and slide.
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
My healthy pumpkin bars are soft, moist, and topped with dreamy cream cheese frosting. Nobody will guess they have no refined sugar!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a 9×9 in (23×23 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
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Using a bowl in the microwave or a double boiler on the stove, melt together the cream cheese and coconut oil, until you can stir them together easily.
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In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil/cream cheese mixture, eggs and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer at medium speed, until smooth.
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In another bowl, stir together the almond flour, Besti, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
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Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Beat with the hand mixer at low speed, until just combined.
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Transfer the batter to the lined baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for30-35 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
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To make the frosting, use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese, powdered Besti, and vanilla, until smooth. (You can thin it out with a little milk or cream if you'd like.) Let the bars cool completely before frosting and cutting.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, or 1/16 of entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right texture in these healthy pumpkin bars, plus a few variations.
- Storage: I keep these healthy pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. They’re also fine on the counter for up to 2-3 days if you don’t frost them.
- Freeze: Chill, wrap snugly (I recommend plastic wrap followed by foil.), and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. I unwrap them for thawing, so the frosting doesn’t stick to the wrapping.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Low Carb Holiday Cookbook and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Healthy Pumpkin Bars
504 Comments
Lynn Maestre
0This is an excellent recipe, easy to make, will be my new go to when I have a sweet tooth.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Lynn! Have a great day!
Angela Beavers
0Oh my YUM!!! I loooove these bars. Finally a dessert that doesn’t feel like I’m eating sand.
Thank you thank you thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Angela! Have a great day!
Linda
0I cut the sweetener in half (1/3 cup in the cake and 1/4 in the frosting was plenty sweet for our taste), but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and baked it for the entire 30 minutes. I noted that the coconut oil when melted did not mix with the softened cream cheese, though it all combined fine when I added the other ingredients. Next time, I will just cream the coconut oil together with the softened cream cheese before combining with the other liquid ingredients, and I will add the sweetener with the liquid ingredients. The final product was more of a very soft cake than a bar, but it tasted absolutely delicious (somehow reminded me vaguely of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting) and I will make it again. Some chopped walnuts mixed in the cake or sprinkled on top might also add a delightful little crunch. Thanks for a yummy recipe, Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Linda! I’m glad you liked the cake bars.
Stephanie
0Love these bars, wondering if I could make it into a cupcake?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Stephanie! Yes, I’m sure you could make them into cupcakes!
Fayzah
0Hi Maya,
Can this recipe be doubled? If so, what size pan would I need? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fayzah, Yes, you can adjust the number of servings on the recipe card. Try a 9×13 pan.
Karen
0I followed the recipe exactly with exception to the coconut oil, which I love for many things but I can’t stomach the taste of it…i know, I’m weird….anyway I used butter in place of the coconut oil and it turned out amazing….pumpkin with cream cheese frosting is like kryptonite for me, so being able to have this while on keto is just what I needed to keep me on track. I baked mine in a cupcake pan so I can at least try to stick with 1 portion at a time as I would normally cut a huge piece if I used a bar pan. This recipe was easy to follow and even with my substitution turned out the perfect consistency, they are moist and flavorful even without the frosting but who am I kidding, pumpkin bars without cream cheese frosting should be a felony.
Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the bars, Karen! Have a great day!
Carole Petralli
0I made these yesterday. Oh, they are so delicious! I added some walnut pieces on the top. I like them best stored in the refrigerator. It’s just me and am wondering how they freeze? Thank you for creating this delicious dessert!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you liked them, Carole! Yes, you should be able to freeze them.
Dahlia
0I made this recipe last night and it was so good this morning with some coffee. Unfortunately I didn’t have a 9×9 not sure where it went so I used a bundt cake pan. The texture wasn’t very cakey kinda like pumpkin pie but I’m not complaining. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Dahlia! If the texture was more like pumpkin pie, it needed to bake longer. Most likely the baking time is different due to the pan you used. I’m glad you still liked it!
Karen
0Hi!
Can I substitute almond flour for coconut flour?
And powdered erythritol for stevia?
Love, love your recipes!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, No, sorry, coconut and almond flour are not interchangeable. They work totally differently. You can substitute a stevia blend in the bar part of the recipe, but not pure stevia. You can use either a powdered sweetener or concentrated pure stevia for the frosting, but if you change it the consistency will be a little different. I’m glad you love the recipes and hope you’ll love this one, too!
Shirley
0I’m allergic to almonds, so what could I use in place of the almond flour? These look so good!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shirley, You can try sunflower seed meal instead.
Crystal Heath
0I haven’t made this yet, just curious do you use the coconut oil that tastes like coconut? Or the non flavored kind?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Crystal, I used unrefined coconut oil. You can use butter instead if you prefer. Refined liquid coconut oil might not work as well.
Mindy
0Loved these! The only thing I will do differently next time is I will turn these out of the pan to frost them since when I cut them the parchment paper is under every square and I had to peel it off.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Mindy! Please come back soon!
Keri
0Oh my Goodness! More satisfying than pumpkin pie……unbelievable. I give 5 stars for this keto friendly dessert. The only thing I needed to adjust, was the baking time. I had to add 10 minutes for the finished product. This recipe is a keeper – thanks for sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the bars, Keri! Please come back soon!
Angie
0I have been trying to find a good tasting dessert since going low carb 4 months ago – these are delicious !!!! My husband who isn’t low carb has been my guinea pig and he agrees ! I will be making this over and over again !!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Angie! Have a great day!
Lara James
0Amazing! The frosting is like cheesecake and the cake is moist, deliciousness, pumpkiny goodness. Yum! I added TBL of Kerry Gold butter to the frosting to amp up the creamy. A must try if you like pumpkin and are on Keto.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Lara! Thanks for stopping by! Please come back again soon!
Nicole-Marie Chmielecki
0It’s the end of July and I’m ready for Fall. I made these bars today – they turned out beautiful! I didn’t have a 9X9 so I used two 9 inch cake pans. I lined the bottom with parchment and oiled the sides with coconut oil. They cooked for about 20ish minutes and were done. I can’t wait for them to cool and to top them with icing. I see these being a big hit at thanksgiving this year (I am Canadian).
I love the low carb count, thanks for making these recipes easy, minimal ingredients required and tasty!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked them, Nicole! I love pumpkin all year long too!
Phionna
0I don’t doubt these could be good if Erythritol didn’t have such a bad after taste. I will say I am NOT the best baker but I did really great this time! The “batter” tasted great I was so excited, but very let down with the taste after baking. My husband (who is not dieting by any means) thought they were OK, I think it’s all a matter of taste. This is my second recipe using Erythritol and I do not think it makes treats taste good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Phionna, Sorry to hear that they were not for you. Some readers have said that they reduced the sweetener, so you could try that and see if that works better for you. Otherwise, you can try substituting a different sweetener you like better – just check the sweetener conversion calculator here.
Jen
0These are so so good! My only issue is that for whatever reason they took 45 mins to cook and are still quite moist. Not sure what I did wrong to make them take so long to cook but either way they’re delicious. My picky daughters and husband even love them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jen, I’m so glad you liked these! It’s hard to say why they took so long to cook, it might be the pan you used? A different size, shape or even material can impact cook time. I’m glad they still worked out!
Marcella
0I have to say that with so many reviewers commenting upon the baking time it might be a good idea for you to say that baking can sometimes take much longer and also recommend to always put them in refrigerator when done to add firmness.
Chelsi
0This came out absolutely wonderful. I used 1/4 cup of Splenda to sweeten and it was just how we like it. Many thanks to you and your nanny from south Louisiana. This will be a household recipe from now on!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Chelsi! Thanks for stopping by!
Lauri
0I had a recipe for an easy keto pumpkin bake that I used to love, and sadly I lost it. I searched the internet for it with no success. Reading your recipe jogged my memory, as it is very, very similar (without the frosting). I made it tonight and I am so very happy! I thought I had lost that lovely flavor forever! I will definitely check out more of your recipes. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yay! I am so happy I could help, Lauri!
Kristy
0I love this recipe! I added less sugar in the frosting because it’s how I like to try recipes, adding little at a time to my taste and budget. Lol, but it was awesome with 1/4c sugar. I love this recipe and the frosting, super easy and delicious for all my family to enjoy. And I can make it for bigger family get together a without family even noticing that it’s healtier than my normal pumpkin desserts. Thanks for sharing all your recipes, I love them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that, Kristy! Have a great day!
Fareea
0Hi, sounds like a delicious recipe. Can I make pumpkin puree rather than buy it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fareea, Yes, you can!
Ambre
0Does your nutrition facts include the frosting as well, or just the bars?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ambre, It does include the frosting.
Mandi
0These look incredible! I have all the ingredients to make them tomorrow. 🙂 I’m not sure if I missed it anywhere on the post, but I was wondering what was the best way to store these?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Mandi! You can store them in the fridge.
Linda Sutley
05 stars for deliciousness! But they crumbled when I frosted them. They were so yummy that we ate every crumb. This was my first try at a keto dessert.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Linda! I’m so glad you liked the taste. They can get a little crumbly if the frosting is very thick, it might help to thin out the frosting a bit.
Camala
0Oh my, these are amazing! Great job! Only problem is I wish to eat them all.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Camala!
Sharon Young
0Yes, I would like the chewy recipe. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Sharon! I’ll add this to my list to post.
Sharon
0Sounds yum! Do you think I can use any type of granulated sugar? I don’t like using the artificial.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sharon, I don’t use artificial sweeteners in any of my recipes. Any sweeteners I use are all natural. You can read about them here and at the bottom of a page is a conversion chart which includes regular sugar if you’d still prefer to use that: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/natural-low-carb-sweeteners-guide-conversion-chart/
For the cream cheese frosting make sure you’re using a powdered sugar for the best texture. 🙂
Claire
0Hi – I am a newly diagnosed diabetic and I’m new to low carb cooking/baking. I got a couple of small pumpkins the other day and they are cooking in the crockpot – I’ll have puree from them shortly. I am not a fan of coconut – and coconut oil does taste like coconut to me. Is there another oil I can substitute for the coconut oil.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Claire, You can use butter instead if you want to.
Helen
0These bars are really tasty.
I only used about half the amount of sweetener in the frosting and the batter, and it turned out to be just the right amount of sweet for me.
Definitely making these for Thanksgiving so I don’t derail on the full sugar pumpkin pie.
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Helen!
Kara
0These look awesome! I can’t wait to try them! Is it possible to use coconut flour instead of almond flour? I’m allergic to almonds. 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kara, Not for this recipe, but you can try these pumpkin pie cupcakes instead that are made with coconut flour.
Tracy Gonzales
0I made them with coconut flour and they taste great!
Katie
0Hi, I look forward to making these. Do you think I could make them in a muffin pan instead of a cake pan?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kate, I haven’t tried that but I’m sure it would work. Just make sure to watch them and adjust the baking time as needed!
Deborah
0When I entered the recipe into My Fitness Pal, it comes up with different info than what you have posted. It is saying 107 calories, 20 fat, 8.4 carbs,.6 fiber, 2.2 protein. I am ok with all of it except the carb count. Which is correct? The cake was amazing, love your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Deborah! I’m glad you liked these. It’s hard to say why you got a different macro count without seeing which ingredients you selected in MFP. I’ve definitely seen it prone to errors. The most likely cause of the higher carb count is the erythritol, which MFP doesn’t subtract.
Nichola
0I made these and I love them though mine sadly turned out at 3.4 carbs per slice (1 of 16).
Sadly because it sorely limits my having another today lol. Not sure how mine turned out with more carbs as I did use your exact recipe (just less sweetener), anyway well worth making and you’re correct they are sweet enough and I used less sweetener as I don’t tend to like things too sweet.
Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Nichola, I’m glad you liked them!
Doug
0Swerve is awesome!!! I don’t like the aftertaste of Stevia.
Cristiane
0I like a lot of your recipes, no gluten and 10 or less ingredients… most of them easy to make. But as I do not eat any dairy, what you suggest as substitutes for your recipes? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Cristiane! I do have dairy-free recipes in the recipe index, if you’d like to check that out. Other than that, the substitutions for recipes containing dairy will depend on the recipe. Please feel free to leave a comment on any recipe page and I’ll try my best to accommodate! For these pumpkin bars, a dairy-free cream cheese substitute would probably work.
Ruth
0Is it possible to use Stevia or Splenda in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ruth, Yes, you can! If you want to use stevia, a granulated type works best, so that you have a similar volume of dry ingredients. A granulated stevia sweetener would have fillers, so I recommend one that has erythritol as the filler (as opposed to maltodextrin, which is actually sugar). I have a sweetener conversion chart here.
Patricia
0Oh, these look so good. But, I must be dairy free. Is there a sub that I could use for the 2 oz cream cheese in the bars? I love cream cheese but a year ago I had to go dairy free. Bummer!
Jessica
0There is vegan cream cheese and almond milk.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Patricia! A dairy-free cream cheese would probably be fine, or you could replace the 2 oz cream cheese with an additional 1/4 cup coconut oil. They won’t be exactly the same but should be pretty close.