Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars are a fall and holiday favorite. They are so good that no one will know that they are gluten free!
My family has been enjoying pumpkin bars since long before I was gluten free. They are one of our favorite desserts to make during the fall and winter.
My daughter who has a November birthday has even requested them as her birthday cake several times over the years.
Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting pretty much make the perfect fall dessert.
Can I adapt a regular pumpkin bar recipe to gluten free?
This gluten free pumpkin bar recipe is actually adapted from an old Paula Deen pumpkin bar recipe that I made for years. We loved the recipe and I knew I needed to come up with a gluten free version.
I do not know if all pumpkin bars will work gluten free, because not all recipes adapt well to gluten free flours, but this recipe works great gluten free.
I have tried this recipe with individual gluten free flours, but it works well with a gluten free blend, so that is the version I am sharing today.
What do I need to make pumpkin bars?
These pumpkin bars include pretty basic ingredients. Pumpkin, eggs, oil, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Blend, and a few other ingredients.
For the frosting you need cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. You do not have to frost pumpkin bars, but they are better with frosting.
Can I make pumpkin bars dairy free?
Yes, you can make these pumpkin bars dairy free. The cake part is dairy free so all you need to do is use your favorite dairy free frosting or leave the frosting off and just sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars are a favorite fall dessert that are so good you will not know that they are gluten free.
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-3/4 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin and mix until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl combing the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until combined and the batter is smooth.
- Spread the batter into a greased jelly roll style pan or cookie sheet with sides.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes (30 -35 minutes if using a 9x13 pan)
- While cake is baking make the frosting. In a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat for several minutes or until frosting is combined and smooth and desired texture is reached
- Let cake cool completely before frosting. Frost and serve.
Notes
Other gluten free flour blends might work, but I have only tried this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend.
Need more gluten free pumpkin recipes?
Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
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