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My 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
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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.
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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
By
My healthy pumpkin bars are soft, moist, and topped with dreamy cream cheese frosting. Nobody will guess they have no refined sugar!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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
510 Comments
Jamie
0These were great! I had to make them as mini muffins because I just moved and couldn’t find my cake pan. Baked for 20 minutes. Also doubled the pie spice. Turned out perfect and will definitely make them again!
Laurel
0They came out gooey and fell apart.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laurel, They should not be gooey, that is a sign that they were under-baked, so try baking for longer next time. Also, after baking until they are actually done, they need to cool completely so they don’t fall apart. They should be a cakey texture, not gooey. Hope this helps!
Brenda Clark
0This recipe was super easy to follow, and the bars are phenomenal! Thank you!!
Debbie
0These are fabulous!!
Kristyn
0These bars are so light & fluffy!! The cream cheese frosting tastes perfect!
Julia
0An amazing pumpkin recipe? AND just about guilt free?? Sign me up!! I will be making these more often!
jess
0Yummy! These bars are amazing, and the quentissential fall dessert! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Dottie Bacon
0These are so DELICIOUS and EASY to make! Perfect for the cooler fall weather! I have to share the pan with a friend of mine, or I’ll end up eating the entire pan myself…lol! They are not too sweet, and the sea salt gives them the perfect balance. I’m sure these will be my go-to many times. Thank you for this wonderful recipe and your comprehensive website!
Laura
0Made these tonight for a dessert for our Thursday night get together. I let everyone know they were low carb and sugar free. I used Swerve brown sugar for the bars and Anthony’s Confectioner’s Erythritol for the cream cheese frosting because those were the sweeteners I had on hand. I also had to use an 7×11 pan because that was the closest size I had. Most definitely will be making these again.
Gay
0Can I use coconut sugar in place of Monk sugar?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, that should work. They just wouldn’t be low carb/keto anymore.
Jamie
0I made these this morning, didn’t have a 9×9 pan so I used 8×8 just took about 10 extra minutes to bake. So moist and yummy. I’ve already eaten a whole row lol. Definitely making these regularly. ?
Lynn
0Could this recipe be used for cookies? Your pumpkin cookie recipe has alot of different ingredients, I like these better 🙂
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Lynn — if you did test it, the recipe would likely require additional flour to soak up the moisture from the pumpkin, but not totally certain about other ingredient adjustments. Let me know if you give it a try!
Rose
0Hello. I did this Recipe, however, because I didn’t have cream cheese I used plain Greek yogurt. Unfortunately, my bread came out very moist. I put it back into the oven for 10 more minutes at 375 F and it’s still wet in the middle. It tasted delicious but I don’t understand why is still wet. Should I have used more almond flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rose, Greek yogurt has more moisture than cream cheese, so that likely had something to do with it. The baking time can also vary depending on the size, shape, and color of your pan.
Lee Gordon
0Can you substitute coconut flour for the almond flour?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lee, Unfortunately, coconut flour is not a substitute for almond flour.
Jan Huntley
0Can I substitute stevia for the monk fruit allulose blend?
George Medina
0Great recipe. In added crushed pecans to the mix and a few drops of liquid stevia to both the cake mix and the frosting. Yummy
Kendra
0I love these when I don’t want to make pie. I add some maple extract in the frosting. Yum!!
Laura
0Can you use liquid coconut oil?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Laura, Yes, this would work because you are heating the coconut oil up anyway.
Lisa
0I doubled this recipe to fill a standard-sized cake pan, as I was baking for a crowd. Perhaps because of this, I had to bake it almost twice as long. After 25 minutes, the center was still very wet and jiggly. I have a gas convection oven that is usually pretty spot-on with cooking times. These were delicious and very moist. I think next time I make them, I will increase the pumpkin spice a little bit. I find that if I combine different kinds of sweeteners, I get closer to ‘just like sugar’ flavor, so I usually use half allulose and half Monkfruit-blend sweetener in any recipe. I only use powdered Monkfruit for the frosting, though. It was PERFECT. Creamy and delicious without being too sweet. I’m so glad I found this recipe!! Thank you so much!
Francy
0These came out so good! I made them with dairy-free cream cheese and monk fruit blend sweetener. The texture is like a real pumpkin bar and the frosting is YUMMY! Thank you for another great recipe.