Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThese keto healthy pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are an absolute essential to make during pumpkin season — and you don’t have to be keto to enjoy them! They bake up soft and sweet with a rich icing (based on my sugar-free cream cheese frosting recipe). And thanks to a few easy ingredient swaps, they have no white flour or sugar whatsoever. They are perfect for when you don’t have time to make a keto pumpkin pie.
To keep these low carb pumpkin bars tasting like the real deal, I carefully chose flour and sugar substitutes that would create the same flavor and texture. This recipe uses Wholesome Yum Almond Flour and Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (both crystallized and powdered) to create a soft consistency and sweetness in the bars and frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Pumpkin Bars Recipe
- Spiced pumpkin and tangy cream cheese flavor
- Super soft, moist, cakey texture
- Fluffy, creamy, tangy frosting
- Simple, natural ingredients
- Just 10 minutes prep time
- Gluten-free, sugar free, and low in carbs (only 2g net carbs per bar)
- Loaded with protein and fiber
- The perfect fall dessert!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Healthy Pumpkin Bars:
- Pumpkin Puree – Make sure to use 1 cup for this recipe, not 1 can. Also, get pure pumpkin puree instead of pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar. You can use the extra canned pumpkin for making other pumpkin recipes.
- Coconut Oil – Keeps the bars soft and moist. If you don’t want coconut flavor, you can use a refined coconut oil or unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese – Adds a tangy flavor and softness to the bars. You might be able to make this recipe dairy-free with a non-dairy cream cheese, but I haven’t tested it.
- Egg – Use whole, large eggs, at room temperature so that they don’t solidify the cream cheese and coconut oil. I haven’t tested these healthy pumpkin bars with flax eggs or any other egg alternative, but let me know how it goes if you try that.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a high-quality extract for best flavor.
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – Some recipes use oats or oat flour, but I find that this almond flour has the the perfect consistency in these bars. The brand you choose can impact the result though, since some tend to be more grainy. That being said, you could probably substitute half the almond flour with oat flour if you’re not concerned about the carbs. Avoid using coconut flour, which would be too dry.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Adds a touch of just-like-sugar sweetness, without the sugar spike! Besti locks in moisture better than other sugar substitutes, so the bars may be more dry if you use something else. If you still want to try another sweetener, use the sweetener conversion chart here. Avoid substituting with liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, which would make the bars fall apart.
- Baking Powder – Helps the sugar-free pumpkin bars rise. Don’t confuse this with baking soda, which is different.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – This is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground allspice. You can usually find it in grocery stores, or make homemade pumpkin pie spice in minutes!
- Sea Salt – Balances the sweet flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Cheese – I use a full-fat variety, but any plain kind will work.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This powdered sweetener blends effortlessly into the cream cheese, so it’s never gritty. And the new powdered formula is the finest grind out there, just like real powdered sugar.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a touch of flavor.
- Heavy Cream – Optional, but makes the frosting slightly more spreadable.
VARIATION: Cream cheese frosting not for you?
You can skip it altogether, or try sugar-free buttercream frosting instead.
How To Make Healthy Pumpkin Bars
This section shows how to make pumpkin bars healthy, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Melt. Use a bowl or double boiler to melt cream cheese and coconut oil together, stirring to combine.
- Beat wet ingredients. Combine pumpkin puree, cream cheese mixture, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients. Stir together almond flour, Besti, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl.
- Make batter. Combine wet and dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined.
- Bake. Transfer batter to a baking pan (this is the right size) lined with parchment paper. Bake the healthy pumpkin bars in the oven, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Make cream cheese frosting. Use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese, powdered Besti, and vanilla together, until smooth.
- Frost. Once bars have cooled, spread frosting over the top and slice. (You can also add a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin spice on top if you like.)
VARIATION: Get more crunch!
Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips to the finished bars for extra texture.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep healthy pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Chill fully in the fridge, then carefully wrap. (I recommend plastic wrap followed by foil.) Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Keto And Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Enjoy all the rich, cozy flavor of pumpkin without the sugar. Try it with these easy treats (and check out more healthy and keto pumpkin recipes here)!
Tools To Make Keto Pumpkin Bars
- Hand Mixer – Makes batter quick and easy to whip up for this healthy pumpkin bar recipe.
- Baking Dish – The perfect size for these low sugar pumpkin bars.
Keto Healthy Pumpkin Bars (Cream Cheese Frosting!)
Keto healthy pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting use natural ingredients, no added sugar, and taste bakery fresh. Just 10 minutes prep!
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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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 Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, or 1/16 of entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
465 Comments
Jane
0The flavor was great but I had to keep putting it back in the oven 3 times at over an hour and it was still too loose.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jane, I am sorry this recipe didn’t set for you. Did you make any substitutions?
Jamie
0I don’t usually leave comments but this dessert was so delicious!! Even my daughter who isn’t eating keto like me loved it! Thank you for a great recipe! This one I will be making again!!
Robin
0I absolutely cannot get the coconut oil and cream cheese to mix together. I’m feeling really frustrated. I also spent 10-minutes looking for the video and recipe tips that are promised on this page. I can’t see them anywhere.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Robin, The video is located just above the actual recipe. If you cannot see it make sure you don’t have any block software or reader mode enabled while viewing the website.
Jay Nashville
0Mine didn’t mix well either, but it made no difference at all. Just mixed the other items in and it blended well overall.
Lena
0Can you freeze this?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lena, Yes you can freeze these. When stored properly, they will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Kelly
0Question. Can you use the powdered monk fruit allosule blend in the pumpkin bars or does it need to be granular? And if it can be powdered how much to use?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kelly, Yes, powdered is fine. You will use the same amount as written in the recipe. Enjoy!
Audry Singh
0Delicious! Thank you so much for this and all your recipes. I always turn to this site for recipes as I am following a keto diet. This is a wonderful alternative to pumpkin pie, which is my favorite! Now I can still have the pie filling without the added carbs and sugar! I will certainly be making these again. The only issue I have is not eating too many at once!
Ellen Green
0These healthy pumpkin bars are delicious and you would never now they are low carb. Best dessert I have made in a long time.
One question, do they need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ellen, Yes, please store these in the fridge.
Gail
0I had to keep baking it and after 50 minutes, it still wasn’t done. Got frustrated and pulled it out.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gail, Did you make any substitutions to the recipe?
Bridget Evers
0This is so moist! I made a double recipe for a 9×13 and baked 38 min. I used 1/2 flour and 1/2 almond flour plus added 1 tsp baking soda. It turned out so good. Next time I’ll cut down my flour ratio to 75% almond and 25% flour.
Joey
0I’m just wondering… has anyone figured out the WW points on This? I’m new to WW, but I would love to try it.
Laura Buff
0I know nothing about Keto, just that I am trying to reduce carb intake and wanted to good pumpkin pie alternative for my family. Which brings me to a question, do you use the almond flour to keep it gluten free? Would there be any issue if I were to use regular flour?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, The almond flour is used to cut carbs, but it also happens to be gluten-free. 1 cup of wheat flour is 95 carbs, 1 cup of almond flour is 24 carbs. If you haven’t tried almond flour for baking, I highly recommend trying it in a recipe like a pie. Almond flour makes a great pie crust. You can find my preferred brand here: Wholesome Yum Almond Flour. I hope this helps!
Kelly Harris
0Amazing! I have a nut allergy so I used 1/4 cup coconut flour instead of almond flour and an extra egg. So most and yummy! Thank you!
Mary Beth
0These are sooo delicious. I didn’t have a 9×9 pan so I decided to use a 13×9 pain. I still had to bake about 5 minutes longer than the recipe called for. I popped them in the freezer for a short time and then it was easy to frost them with the cream cheese frosting. My son is diabetic and he said that these are now his favorite dessert and he has already asked for them for Thanksgiving. I used a monk fruit and erythritol blend and used a little less than the recipe called for. I forgot to used powdered in the frosting and it was a little grainy but still delicious and no complaints from my son! Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Priya Lakshminarayan
0wow these look so delicious! I am surely trying this recipe
Carla Ferong
0I just made your Pumpkin Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting and they won’t last 5 days with just my husband (who is not Keto) and myself. These are delicious and would definitely switch these out for the Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving. I LOVE your recipes.
Yollande
0Loved these. I’ve made them 3 times now, last time as muffins. I added butter to the cream cheese in the frosting. Delicious!! My family who isn’t doing keto love them as well.
Veronica R
0Oh my yum!!!! Just tasted the batter and it is sooo delicious! Can’t wait to taste after baking. I’m sure this will be a hit. TY!!
Carri
0I was so excited about this recipe. It had a good amount of ingredients and so I thought, it would have good flavor. But it was just bland. If I ever decide to repeat it, I will definitely increase the Pumpkin Spice, the salt and the vanilla to see if that helps. 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Carri, I am sorry this recipe didn’t suit your tastes. Absolutely feel free to adjust the number of spices and vanilla in the recipe to match your personal tastes.
Carri
0This recipe looks so good! I will be making it soon. Maya, can I use butter instead of Coconut oil? Always love my butter.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carri, Yes, that should work great!
Karen
0Maya: can you tell me the ratio of monk fruit to allulose in your Besti monk fruit/allulose blend? Something is causing me stomach issues, and not sure if it’s the allulose or the monk fruit. Also, was wondering if your erythritol blend is easier on the stomach than the allulose blend. Just trying to determine which sweetener is easiest on the stomach before making anymore baked goods, but would love to make these. Thanks so much for your help. ~Karen
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, Our blends are proprietary. 🙂 Most people don’t have stomach issues with monk fruit or allulose (it’s very rare), in fact that’s usually one of its advantages over erythritol. Are you 100% sure it couldn’t be something else you ate? That being said, everyone is different, so it’s possible that for you it’s the other way around. You can try plain erythritol and see if that works better!
Karen
0Unfortunately, I can’t do erythritol either. I am pretty sure that it’s the allulose that’s causing me problems I bake something with pure monkfruit extract, and didn’t have any problems at all, but everything I eat with allulose causes problems. Thanks for your feedback though. 🙂
Janet
0I think I made these last year, but the recipe at that time called for powdered Erythritol (swerve). I loved them and bought a couple of bags of the very expensive sweetener. Now the recipe calls for monk fruit sweetener. How much powdered swerve do I use in the bars/frosting? The conversion chart lists swerve but not powdered. Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janet, The sweetener in the recipe was changed to make it better, not just for no reason. 🙂 Both versions of the sweetener are listed in the calculator found in the keto sweetener guide. Swerve does call their powdered version “confectioners” and it listed as such in the calculator. You will use your sweetener as written in the recipe, they are the same sweetness. If you do decide to try the new better version, you can get Besti monk fruit sweetener here for that.
Annette
0Can you use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Annette, I have not personally tested this, although several readers have commented on having success using coconut flour. Check the comments to see what others have tried.
Kathleen Sebeny
0I tried this recipe for the first time for my family as my son is diabetic. Everyone loved it. I used Monk Fruit sweetener with erythritol and cut down it down to like 1/3 cup instead of 2/3. It was perfect.
For the frosting, I always use Powdered Swerve and it also worked great.
Thanks for sharing this great alternative for those watching their dietary intake.
Tanya Garg
0This was incredible!!!! This was the first keto dessert I’ve made and I genuinely couldn’t believe there was barely any sugar in this. It initially had a pumpkin pie consistency (kept it in the oven for 55 minutes) and didn’t mind it at all! Tasting it straight out of the fridge really gave the “bar” texture. I will definitely be making this again!
Ruthanne
0Great easy recipe, and they are absolutely delicious! Thanks!
bonnie douglas
0what exactly is the monk fruit blend? I am kind of new to all this. I have just plain monk fruit. This like a combo of monk fruit and stevia?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Bonnie, Monk fruit can be blended with several types of sweeteners like erythritol and allulose. You can read more about sweetener blends in my Keto Sweetener Guide. Or to keep it simple, all you really need to know is this is the monk fruit sweetener to get for this recipe.
Tamny Keith
0Just checking is it possible to just use erithrotol or does it have to be this monk fruit mixture?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tammy, The recipe has been updated to use allulose for the best flavor and texture. If you would like to use a different sweetener, check out this sweetener calculator to determine how much you would need.
Kristen
0Love a lot of your recipes but the first step of this one (melting cream cheese and coconut oil) is not a common task and doesn’t look “right”. Any tips you have for that step would be helpful. I wound up making muffins instead.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristen, This is the correct method. The recipe will turn out great if you two the two ingredients together and continue on with the recipe.
Dawn
0Where is the video? This page is hard to navigate. Some text says “tap video below” then you scroll down looking for it and the next text says “tap video above” yet there was no video to be found in between these two sections of text. Am I missing something? I haven’t rated this recipe as I haven’t make it yet – would like to see the video.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dawn, The video is located in the recipe card. If you cannot see it, you may want to make sure you aren’t viewing the website in ‘reader mode.’ You can verify this in your internet browser settings.
Carri
0I also learned this the hard way! Different browsers (if that’s what they’re called) do not show the video at all! Opera doesn’t and I think Chrome doesn’t either. I have to use Microsoft Edge to see the videos. Hope that helps.
Nicole
0Hi! Your recipes are awesome! Question-could I substitute the cup of pumpkin for a cup of apple puree? I know it demolishes the carb count, but that’s ok! Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nicole, I think apple puree would be too wet to replace 1:1 with pumpkin puree. It may work if you cut the amount back to 3/4 cup of apple puree. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it!
Alicia
0These were excellent!! I used butter instead of coconut oil and I baked them in a 9×13 Pyrex pan to have thinner, bigger bars. I thought the bars without icing were delicious. So I opted to just leave them plain and I top with pecans and sugar free whipped cream just before eating one.
NOTE: For those of you thinking you curdled the cream cheese mixture. You likely didn’t. Just stir it well and it will smooth out.
Jean Johnson
0What is a substitute for coconut oil? I’m allergic.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jean, Butter will work in place of coconut oil.
Allison
0These are delicious! After cooling on the counter I then let them cool further in the fridge before icing. After icing, I cut them up and put them on a plate. At this point the bars were quite wet on the bottom – very moist! – and I had to use a spatula to keep them from falling apart. Perhaps I could have cooked a bit longer but a toothpick did come out clean. I couldn’t help but eat one right away and this first one had more of a consistency and taste of pumpkin pie, rather than a bar. However, I stored the rest on the plate in the fridge and the next day they had hardened and could be eaten like a bar. Tastes even better with a scoop of Rebel Salted Caramel! So good and I would definitely make them again. The icing itself is a great recipe that could be used on other things. Make them!
Becky
0I’ve made these 3 times already! Family favorite and turned out perfectly! I reduced the monk fruit sugar by just a little bit- we prefer it not as sweet.
Joni Rae Russell
0Maya – Thank you so much for all you are doing for the keto community. I love so many of your recipes.
I have never responded to the myriad of recipes I have made, but here goes on this one.
These pumpkin bars turned out great, but I had a few mishaps. Here’s my feedback. First, I had trouble combining the cream cheese and ghee. It seperated and I almost threw it out, but thank goodness, decided to continue. Then, it did not seem to cook in the alloted time. Again looked like a “fail” but I kept moving forward and kept looking at them after every minute. Five additional minutes is what it took. I used granulated monkfruit instead of confectioner – that was the biggest issue – It was grainy. To my delight however, they turned out moist and sweet and delicious. They were even better the next day. So easy to make – big payoff for the time. For me a portion is very small, but decadent and so worth it – TYVM
Mika
0Am I the only one having trouble melting the cream cheese and coconut oil together? I have tried in the microwave and a double boiler and each time the cream cheese curdles in the melted oil.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mika, The cream cheese and coconut oil are curdling because they are getting too hot too quickly. If you are using a microwave, it needs to be done in quick bursts until the ingredients can be combined. 10 – 15 seconds at a time. A double boiler can help to regulate heat, but it still can get too hot for the ingredients, so start with the cream cheese ingredients in the double boiler and slower stir to combine. Remove before all the lumps are out and let the residual heat melt the ingredients the rest of the way. I hope these suggestions help!
Connie Langston
0Wow, I never take the time to review any recipe, but this was outstanding. In higher elevations, no adjustments with ingredients just a longer cooking time
Also, good tip to let it cool completely. The icing can be left at room temp to spread more easily. I’m finding that I’m seeking out Maya’s recipe
Really good ideas
Keep the ads coming if it helps you keep recipes free for us followers !
Tina M.
0Awesome! Tastes amazing …pumpkin pie in bars. Will make many times, a keeper.
Liza
0The family is not going keto and they loved the pumpkin bars. I was thrilled how delicious they turned out. I did substitute almond flour with coconut flour.
It was even tastier the next day out of the fridge!
Christine Griffiths
0Holy moly! I was expecting these to taste dry and nothing like a high carb pumpkin cake or bar. But omg I was wrong. They are absolutely delicious! Moist but not soggy with a rich and creamy frosting. I don’t think anyone would know these are sugar and flour free! Definitely going to make these for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you so much for all your amazing recipe’s.
Wendy
0AMAZING! I had to bake mine for 35 minutes to bake all the way. Let them cool for 4 hours before frosting. Popped them in the fridge to set for a few hours… YUM. Hubby isn’t doing keto and doesn’t particularly like pumpkin desserts but he really liked these.
I used granulated and powdered Swerve instead.
Jana Dozier
0I loooved these, though I almost threw out the first batch because the texture seemed raw after 2 rounds of cooking 15 min, but my husband loved them (he’s a huge cheesecake fan) despite the texture, so into the fridge they went. The next day the texture was greatly improved, so the next round I did 30 min straight up, and into the fridge they went, did the icing the next day and they were SO MUCH better!!! Much more like a cheesecake bar, rather than raw/uncooked, and to be fair I was hoping for a more brownie texture, so if you’re looking for a cheesecake bar, these hit the spot JUST right!!!
Carolina
0The pumpkin bars are PHENOMENAL ❤️
Patricia
0I don’t make desserts too often but I made these pumpkin bars for a family dinner. They were amazing even though mine didn’t firm up like normal bars would. I had to bake them longer than your recipe said to and maybe I should still have baked them a little longer….but my kids took them home with them and left me with almost none! That speaks volumes to me!
Melissa Stacy
0Maya’s pumpkin bars are PHENOMENAL! I made these for my non keto family members – they devoured them! Couldn’t believe there was anything HEALTHY about these!
Love
0You can in fact use coconut flour. Just do 1/4 cup for every cup of almond flour. I added 1/4 cup apple sauce to make up for the moisture but honestly didn’t need it at all. This website is awful, will not be using again due to the ads.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Love, Thanks for your feedback on the website. You can learn more about Wholesome Yum Plus here, which includes an ad-free version of the website.
Michelle
0I was searching for a recipe with pumpkin and stumble upon this one … I knew I had to make it!
And OMG ! so happy I did .
They were soooo good and so moist !
Unfortunately, I processed my sugar to make it “powdered” and that wasn’t a success, but regardless of that … YUMMY!!!
ps. my husband doesn’t like keto desserts…so I have almost half of the bars in my freezer for a fast and easy breakfast with coffee. 😀
Donna
0These are the BEST! And I have tried so many Keto desserts. I added chopped pecans to the recipe.
Colleen
0Can you substitute ghee for coconut oil?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Colleen, Yes, that will work just fine!
Emily
0I made these today and it was delicious! But is it meant to be a bit soft and mushy ? Or did I undercook it? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Emily, These bars are soft, but they should not be mushy. It sounds like they may have needed to bake longer in the oven. If you haven’t, I suggest checking out the video to see what the final texture of these bars is supposed to be like.
Leta Ludes
0Can I make this coconut flour instead? I don’t like the texture almond has.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Leta, I don’t recommend using coconut flour in this recipe, it would be too dry.
Kerrianne
0Hi, just wondering if I can use almond meal instead of almond flour as my supermarkets are currently out of stock? Or would it not work?
Thank you so much
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kerrianne, I don’t recommend using almond meal. It will change both the flavor and texture of the recipe. If you are interested in ordering online, you can get super fine, blanched Wholesome Yum Almond Flour here.
Jeanne Moster
0These were great! Difficult to stop eating at one.
Thanks for a great pumpkin dessert Maya.
Juls White
0This recipe is the best. Such a helpful treat satisfying and filling. The cream cheese frosting is so yummy. I use it for other things too.