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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
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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.
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
Linda
0I adore this recipe! Its now a staple! Have your book. Love it. But Maya, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get rid of the ads on your site! It is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to follow the recipes or even read a single line before the page distorts or rearranges. It’s the most frustrating thing i have ever seen and have a hard time following you because of it. Dont sell yourself out to those advertisers!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, I’m so glad you like the pumpkin bars and my book. The ads on my site help support my family and the 12+ hours per recipe that I spend to bring them to you for free.
Patricia A Gallant
0These pumpkin bars are delicious. I’ve made them several times using 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup flax seed meal, and 1/4 cup psyllium husk. I actually frost the bars and freeze them as you would berries on a cookie sheet before placing them in freezer bags. No sticking together! Each morning I have one with my coffee. They are perfect.
Tammy Griffin
0Made these for Thanksgiving and they were so good! So glad I had a few leftovers to snack on
Pat
0I made these for Thanksgiving dinner. I put them on a plate to serve. Every one grabbed 2 bars before I could take a picture. These are absolutely wonderful with whipped cream or icing. The house smelled heavenly.
Erica
0Just made these! We are stuck in the house for thanksgiving due to the flu and I had all we needed to whip them up. The only thing I added was a splash of Califia Farms holiday Nog creamer to the frosting. It’s all so yummy! The kids have no idea it’s healthy and I’m not telling them.
Cathy A
0Making these today for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. For the 2/3 cup erythritol sweetener…I have Swerve, both granular and confectioner’s. Which one is best to use or can I do 1/3 cup each?
Julie Owens
0When you say erythritol sweetener blend… do you mean Monkfruit sweetener or Swerve or something else?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Julie, Yes, both of those are erythritol sweetener blends and will work perfectly.
Amy
0Hello! Can I use maple syrup for a sweetener instead? Thanks! (Would I still use 2/3 cup?) ❤️I want to make these for thanksgiving!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amy, I can’t recommend using maple syrup in this recipe. Swapping out a granulated sweetener for a liquid sweetener would completely change the final result. If you are looking to use a natural sugar, may I suggest coconut sugar or granulated maple sugar? Those you could easily swap 1:1 in this recipe.
Karen Salo
0These are awesome!! Not only are they a low carb treat…. but super healthy too! I was stunned when I tasted these!
Stacy
0I made this for a fish fry and it was such a hit!! I told everyone that they were Keto and everyone liked them better than the regular cookies and brownies that other people had brought! I am going to make this for thanksgiving as well but wanted to see if I could make it ahead and freeze it or just let it sit in the fridge for like 4 days? What do you suggest?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Stacy, These bars will do well in the freezer unfrosted. If you want to frost them ahead of time, then I would store them in the refrigerator.
Leanna
0Do these need to be refrigerated ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Leanna, Yes, these bars will are best when stored in the refrigerator.
Faith E Jones
0Could I use a different oil? Haven’t tried yet but I am going too!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Faith, Yes, if you aren’t a fan of the coconut flavor, you could use melted (but not hot) butter or avocado oil.
Alyssa
0Would I be able to substitute coconut flour for the almond flour? If so, how much would I use?
Can’t wait to try them!!
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Alyssa, I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
Lori
0Oh.My.YUM!
Keto magic right here. I couldn’t be happier with how these turned out! So most and tasty.
Hubby is in love too. I might add more pumpkin pie spice next time.
Wonderful recipe.
Amy Lange
0I’m trying Truvia stevia sweetener blend. Do I use 2/3 cup?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Amy, I am not very familiar with that brand of sweetener. If the sweetness is 1:1 with sugar then yes, use the same amount as listed in the recipe.
Karen
0Absolutely delicious.
Anna Martinez
0Make pumpkin bars ever year. I had hoped that this healthier alternative would work but don’t like the texture. And there is a slight after taste, no idea what is causing that.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Anna, your sweetener could be to blame for the aftertaste. If these weren’t for you, you might like these pumpkin cookies instead!
Debbi
0Can I use swerve or monk fruit for the sweetener? New to keto. Please help and Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Debbie, Yes, either are fine.
Mrs Sew N Sew
0I doubled the recipe except for pumpkin which I used the whole can and cooked it in an 11 x 13 inch pan.
It came out perfect.
Everyone loved it.
Liz
0I made these for a dear friends birthday dinner at our home and they were absolutely delicious! I’m making them again today for. Community dinner and I think I’m going to try adding some chopped walnuts.
Jeannie
0These are delicious! I’ve been doing keto and reduced the sugar in this recipe to make it “not so bad” for my cheat day. It was more cake then bar but I absolutely loved them.
Vicki Baldwin
0Yummy!! Very moist. I baked for 45 – 50 minutes before the toothpick came out clean. I also doubled the pumpkin pie spice!
Jodi
0These are really nice. Used a 6 x 11 pan and cooked for about 20 mins longer until firm in the middle. Mashed my own pumpkin as we don’t have access to canned in Australia. Made my own version of pumpkin spice too (cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger). Meant to be a Halloween party food but I ate a slice for breakfast which was delish!
Sherry Keplinger
0This was the best ever!!! Even my non-keto friends loved it! They wanted the recipe too! I did double the recipe so I could put it in a 9 x 13 pan. I used three eggs though instead of four. I’m telling ya, these keto-friendly recipes are awesome! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Marelize
0Can you freeze them
Debbie
0Three eggs ?no flour?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Marelize, yes you can! I’d wait to frost until after you thaw them.
Kyla L Siler
0I’ve made this at least four times and we love it! A question was brought up on if we’d be able to pour this on top of a low carb crust?
Perhaps one of your low carb crust you use for cheesecake? Like the pecan shortbread crust?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kyla, I haven’t tried that, but sounds delicious! Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Lyn
0Is there a way to make these egg-free? Or do you have another recipe similar to this (just something Thanksgiving-feeling) that is already egg-free? My son is Keto and allergic to eggs
Thank you for any help!
I love your site btw
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lyn, I haven’t tried it but flax eggs might work. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Susan Friar
0The bars took much longer to cook through…very moist in the middle. Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susan, Did you use the recommended 9×9″ pan? It may take longer for your bars to cook through if using a different sized pan.
Linda
0This is a great recipe. The pumpkin bars are delicious! I would recommend this recipe to anyone.
Thank you for sharing.
Jen
0Hello!! Oh these look delicious!! What are your thoughts on using coconut flour instead of almond flour? I’m GF and also nut free.. Thanks
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Jen, coconut flour can’t be used interchangeably with almond flour. Your best bet might be sunflower seed flour, but I haven’t tested it here myself.
Nicole Jones
0I forgot to buy granulated Swerve, can I use the confectioner’s Swerve for both the cake and frosting it will the cake come out funny?!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nicole, The frosting will be very gritty. I would not recommend using granular sweetener for frosting.
Marcella
0I think she was asking if she could use confectioners sugar-that would not make frosting gritty.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Marcella, Oh yes, confectioners sugar is perfect for this frosting. You can also use it in the pumpkin bars if that’s all you have on hand. Enjoy!
Leilani
0This recipe is AMAZING!! Thank you so much for sharing. Everyone loves it, even those not into keto. I did tweak the frosting a little and added butter and a little extra vanilla. Turned out excellent, tastes just like the real thing.
Nicole
0Hey! Just curious can I use swerve icing sugar in place of the swerve granular? The grocery store here only has the brown and the icing sugar option? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nicole, Confectioners sweetener can be used in most baking recipes in addition to smooth textured treats like pudding, frosting, or cheesecake.
Karla
0I cooked and cooked and cooked this yet it came out like pudding. No hope of cutting it in squares. Triple checked the ingredients and I didn’t miss anything. What could have happened?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karla, This dessert will set as it cools. Once it’s fully cooled you can frost and cut into squares.
Mindy
0I’ve made these 4 weeks in a row now and make tweaks each time to make them a little more…nutritious..
I use only a half cup almond flour and then add 1/4c flax meal 1/4 oat fiber and 2 scoops vanilla protein powder. I also add 3T hemp seeds. I add a little extra pumpkin too because the protein powder dries out the bar giving it a more gritty texture without more pumpkin.
My final tweak is using half granular monk fruit and half stevia to sweeten 🙂
Cheryl Pereira
0These are freekin amazing. Have made them 3 times and everyone loves them! Even my non Keto friends and family.
Linda Hayes
0I had to use a bit larger pyrex pan that had high sides. After 45 min I took it out….it was almost like pudding. The frosting was very good, but had to throw out……ok I just read through comments…I used a whole can of puree instead of 1 cup. Will try it again and use a 9 X 9 pan as well.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, Sorry to hear this happened – the full can of pumpkin was definitely the issue. Hope you’ll try it again with the right amount!
Stephanie White
0If I wanted to substitute butter for coconut oil but I still use 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stephanie, Yes, it would be the same amount.
Felicia
0This was my first take at keto baking. Everything tastes great but my bars are falling apart, I followed the recipe exactly. I am in Denver, should I adjust anything for high altitude?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Felicia, Sorry, I don’t live at high altitude so am unable to test there, but you may need to bake longer due to the lower air pressure. It’s hard to say without testing if other changes would be needed. I’m glad you like the taste, though. These are cake-like bars, so while you could hold them, they are also great to eat with a fork and then it doesn’t matter if they fall apart. If you want them more sturdy, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum next time.
Kristina
0These turned out so good!! I’ve tried making a few desserts and none of them really turned out. Im not much of a baker. These were delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipes.
CJ
0I have made these 3 times,they will be our pumpkin pie substitute, because they taste just like it!
No one can believe they have no sugar.
I have had to bake these 40 minutes every time.
No problem with other recipes, so it’s not the oven.
So delicious ☺
Sara
0My cream cheese is curdling with the coconut oil. I tried with butter and it curdled with that too after microwaving 20 seconds. The last thing I tried was a 15 second microwave on the butter and then add room temp cream cheese, that got the least amount but still some curdle. Any suggestions for how to fix this?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sara, The curdling issue is due to the liquid being too hot from the microwave. Let is still for a few minutes until it cools slightly then incorporate your cream cheese. I hope this helps!
Kristin
0I tried this recipe and the problem is I wanted to eat the whole 9×9 pan myself! So instead, I shared it with a few of the elderly in the neighborhood! I messed up on the sweetener in the frosting though and used regular erythritol so the frosting was grainy. Other than that delicious!
Deb
0I don’t have the 1/2 cup powdered erithrytol for the cream cheese frosting. Can I use a powdered organic stevia leaf extract and how much
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Deb, That sweetener should work, but I do not know how much. You’ll have to check the manufactures website to find the conversion.
Julie Smith
0These are excellent! Thank you so much 🙂
Texas Shopper
0Made these for the first time yesterday…so good! First low carb sugar-free treat I feel I can bring to work for other non-low carbers to also enjoy. I used Lakanto monk fruit granular and powdered. The only thing was I did have to use the full block of cream cheese (8 ozs) for the frosting because it did not look like enough. Even using more cream cheese the layer of frosting was much thinner than the picture. I froze them individually; they defrost beautifully. Thank you for the great recipe.
Judith Major
0I made it with salt. I used no sweetener, and I add Italian spices plus two teaspoons of ground flaxseed. All of your recipes are magnificent.
Cheryl Pereira
0I’m on my second batch of these as they’re a HUGE hit in our house now. Hubby and son don’t do Keto, but they sure can’t keep their hands off of these. 🙂
I used Monk Fruit sweetener 1/2 the amount and for the frosting…I’m using 1/4 the amount of Bocha Sweet this time.
I’m finding you can omit the sugar for the frosting and still fully enjoy the taste of these!
Thank you for sharing…Love, Love, Love these!
Melissa
0Hi, I’m excited to try these, the batter was good! It’s currently in the oven!
My question is where are you getting 3g carbs? I inputted this recipe to MFP and got 18g. Dietary fiber was .9g and sugar 1.9g. I used the same recipe except I used fat-free cream cheese.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melissa, Did the app subtract the sweeteners to give you net carbs? It’s total carbs – fiber – erythritol = net carbs. I hope this helps!
Christine
0Awesome recipe and great website! However, I am puzzled how 1/16 has only 3 carbs. By my count, it comes to 16 carbs per serving. I used Swerve granulated for the cake part and Swerve powdered (confectioners) erythritol for the icing. 2/3 cup of Swerve has 128 carbs. And 1/2 cup of the sweetener has 72. After adding carbs for the pumpkin, cream cheese, and almond flour, it really adds up. Please help! What am I missing? I really, really want the answer to be 3!! If there is a lower carb sweetener you can use to bake, please let me know.
Thank you!
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Christine, the erythritol is not metabolized by the body. It has 0g net carbs. You can find more info about keto sweeteners here.
Also, online calculators tend to round up for cream cheese which makes the nutrition info incorrect. We use the USDA database which is the most accurate.
Christine
0Thank you so much for your reply! I love your website and your recipes! I can’t wait for your cookbook. I truly appreciate how engaged and responsive you are to those of us still figuring it all out.