Easy, dreamy Paleo Pumpkin Bars with chocolate chips are a moist, feel-good treat to warm your heart and soul! Made with simple ingredients for a grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free treat.
Want to see a jar of almond butter disappear in 5 seconds? These.
Sometimes you’ve gotta sail away from safe harbor and see where life takes you.
Break away from routine.
Forge a path down the road less traveled.
Go against the grain.
Mix almond butter and pumpkin and bake at 350.
Do what?
From time to time, combining two big personalities with a little spice and some heat just doesn’t pan out.
And other times? Synergy.
Almond butter and pumpkin have got it going on.
They are two ingredients you ordinarily wouldn’t think would fare well together, but as it turns out, they make one dynamic duo! There’s chemistry, folks!
This recipe is so silly simple, you’re going to wish all recipes were made out of it.
There are zero flours or nut meals in the whole stinking tray, and pumpkin + almond butter is the glue that holds this operation together…doesn’t that just make you want to cry, slash do a cartwheel?
The melty chocolate in this photog… This is the point of no return.
You’re having a stirring of emotions. That’s normal. I’d expect nothing less.
Texture-wise, these paleo pumpkin bars are soft and moist, and yet they hold together amazingly well.
Flavor-wise, you get equal parts pumpkin and almond butter.
In a weird act of science fiction, it’s as though you are tasting two treats in one.
I know, it’s hard to imagine. Allow your mouth to do the supplemental research.
These pumpkin bars are sweetened with coconut sugar and they’re a nice source of plant-based protein, so I’m calling them healthy.
Like you could just snack on them throughout the day and feel all the good vibrations.
I used Barney Butter’s Bare (unsalted, unsweetened) creamy almond butter for this recipe.
I’m confident all of their other varietals would be marvelous in these bars, too. Fair warning: because I have only tested this recipe using Barney Butter, I can’t say how the bars would turn out using a nut butter with a thinner consistency.
These rich, moist, flavorful, and tasty pumpkin bars are perfect for fall.
You only need one cup of pumpkin puree, which means if you use canned pumpkin, you’ll have leftovers.
Which means you can take the remaining puree and throw it in a pumpkin spice smoothie.
Proceed forth!
Grain Free Almond Butter Pumpkin Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin I used canned
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup Barney Butter creamy almond butter*
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- Unsweetened shredded coconut for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil an 8” x 8” square baking pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pureed pumpkin, egg, almond butter, and vanilla extract (wet mixture).
- In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, salt, and baking powder (dry mixture).
- Add the dry mixture to the bowl with the wet mixture and stir well to combine. Fold the dark chocolate chips into the batter.
- Pour the blondie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it out.
- Sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut over the blondie batter (optional) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick tests clean.
- Allow blondies to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing into them and serving.
Nutrition
I mean…I can’t even tell you when the last time I did a cartwheel was….but if I ever do another one, I seriously think these will be the reason!
I’m terrible at chemistry, but even I can tell that this is totally working! This is what I want the next time I’m craving sweets!
These seem like Texas Gold Bars, except with a Fall twist and not packed with all the cringe-worthy ingredients. And if you’ve ever had Texas Gold bars then you know that is an ENORMOUS compliment haha I can’t wait to make these! They look so good, and you’re right, they seem nice and easy.
I wouldn’t have thought to pair almond butter with pumpkin… but now that you’ve done it, I desperately want to eat some of these bars! I mean… not only are they gorgeous, but I can imagine they’re packed full of flavor and awesomeness, too!
These look like such a dream! I want my mouth to do all of the supplemental research!
As you should, love, as you should. I mean, I’m pretty sure you can scale these down to be a dessert for two in a heartbeat, which gives you the perfect excuse to do the supplemental research 😉
Hello almond butter pumpkin tango! Come to my mouth. Thanks for the intro to Barney’s. I love almond butter, but I hate the stir! Sometimes a girl just wants to dunk her pretzels right into the jar.
I hear ya, smalls! I absolutely LOVE the texture of this almond butter. Dangerous. Oh.so.dangerous.
You’re brilliant. Simply brilliant. Can’t wait to try these. And you hardly even mentioned the coconut on top, which was the clincher for me . . .
Ah yes, the coconut. I was so distracted by the moist and gooey bars that I forgot to mention the fun crispy topping 😉 Enjoy!
You are like some kind of mad scientist! I loooove how easy these are.
Thanks, love! I was fairly dumbfounded at how well these bars worked out, myself. Like when they came out of the oven, I felt what I imagined the dude who invented Gak felt like. Theese thing’s make me millions, right? Keeping my fingers crossed.
These look so rich and delicious! Love the coconut on top! I’ll take one pan, please!
Thanks, Kelly! Yeeeah, the coconut makes for a nice crisp topping…I can’t not sprinkle it on allll my baked goods 😉
Oh yes, MAJOR stirring of emotions happening over here. Like frustration. Because I can’t grab one of these from my computer right now. They almost look too good to be true!
I’m about 200% positive the stack of almond butter pumpkin bars is made out of every emotion ever. They’re.just.so.many.things!!
Oh dear–these look absolutely beautiful–how can I not make them? Especially since I just happen to have all of the ingredients right now in my kitchen. The chocolate is the clincher for me…..
Woop woop! So glad you’re interested in trying out the bars, Letty! You’ll have to let me know how you like them. The chocolate…ugh…it really raises the bar on the bars! mmmhmmm!
I *almost* bought this almond butter yesterday. Like had it in my hand, INCHES from the cart, when some responsible person had to go and ask about the 8,000 jars of various butters we already have in the house. This recipe looks so good, that I think it’s time to run back to the store and have a magical slow motion jogging moment as I search the aisle for it. Seriously. Almond butter, pumpkin, chocolate. `Nough said.
Picturing you jog to the almond butter in slow mo just made my day, haha! Thanks for the excellent visual. As much as I love almond butter in these bars, I bet one of your 8,000 nut butters would work too. Hope you enjoy! xo
These look absolutely phenomenal!
Thanks, Monique! They are definitely my new favorite dessert, slash meal, ha! 😀
I want some Barney Butter, because it’s so fun to say. Especially the Barney Butter Bare. Triple B. Ok. I’m done. Can you pack a couple of these for me? K, thanks.
Ohhhhh Momma, the triple B butter is ah-may-zing! Can’t wait to see ya! xoxo
This is such a brilliant combo! The chocolate would clinch it for my little picky eater. Love this recipe.
Thanks, Kare! Your little guy would definitely swoon over these bars! They just go down so easy!
I saw almond butter and pumpkin and I was intrigued, but then you went and added chocolate to it and OMG I need these now!
IIIII know, whoodda thought almond butter and pumpkin would work so well together! These bars are seriously addicting – you’ll love them!