Are you hosting someone that is gluten-free for the holidays? Or maybe you want to make a dessert for a friend or neighbor that has food allergies and you’re not sure where to begin? Or maybe you are trying to avoid added sugar and want a healthy dessert that still tastes good?
I’ve got your back when it comes to healthy holiday baking with these paleo pumpkin bars. Here’s a recipe that is gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, grain-free, and even sugar-free. But it’s not flavor-free!
I created this recipe when I was trying to find a healthy snack that was not processed while following the AIP (autoimmune paleo) diet. I wanted something healthy, nutrient-dense, yet tasty. After a little bit of experimentation, I came up with a pumpkin bar recipe that checked all those boxes.
- 2 bananas
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 C pumpkin puree
- 10 pitted dates
- 1 C coconut flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 C Lily’s dark chocolate chips (optional)
Combine the bananas, oil, dates, and pumpkin in a food processor and blend until smooth. Next mix in the coconut flour, spice, salt, and baking soda.
These bars taste good plain, but if you want to add more texture and flavor, you can experiment with different mix-ins. Lily’s dark chocolate chips are sugar-free but do contain soy lecithin. The Enjoy Life chocolate chips are allergen-free but do contain sugar.
You can also try adding different nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds) or some unsweetened coconut flakes.
Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Then cut and serve. These pumpkin bars should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days, or they can even be frozen for 2-3 months if you want to plan ahead and stock up on healthy snacks for your family.
For your guests without dietary restrictions, try out this beautiful and delicious pumpkin roll.
