These pumpkin pie bars are the best way to get your pumpkin pie fix — in snackable form and covered with buttery pecan crumb topping! They're delicious, simple to make, and perfect for everything from fall brunches to holiday dinners to midday treats.
Serious question: are you team vegan pumpkin pie or team vegan pecan pie? Or maybe you're not even a pie person, and prefer to wrap up your holiday dinners with something different, like dessert bars or vegan coffee cake. Well, I have good news for everyone, regardless of how you answered, because today's recipe has all the best parts of those desserts! These pumpkin pie bars start with a simple press-in crust covered with creamy pumpkin pie filling, which is then topped with pecan crumble.
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There's something else to love about these bars, too. They're one of those desserts that totally work for a special dinner, but are equally appropriate for random daytime snacking, maybe even straight from the pan.
And these bars are easy! If you hate making pie crust, no worries — this one involves no rolling, chilling or cursing. The filling whips up in minutes, and so does the topping. You'll end up with layer upon layer of warmly spiced goodness that's way better than the sum of its parts.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Flour. I've only tested this recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, so that's what I recommend using.
- Brown sugar. Stick with organic brown sugar, as conventional brown sugar is often processed with animal bone char.
- Spices. You'll just need ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Salt.
- Vegan butter. Look for this in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, near the regular butter.
- Pecans.
- Sugar. Make sure this is also organic, for the same reason as the brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin puree. Make sure you're using pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling, which includes a bunch of extra ingredients you don't need.
- Coconut milk. Stick with coconut milk from a can, and not the kind sold in cartons for drinking, which is heavily watered down.
- Cornstarch. This is your egg substitute that helps the filling set, so don't skip it!
How They're Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Prepare. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Make the topping. Start by stirring flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together, then add sliced cold vegan butter. Cut it in with a fork or pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Stick the bowl in the fridge to chill while you make the crust.
Step 3: Make the crust. Stir some flour, sugar, and salt together, then add melted vegan butter and vanilla. Mix everything just until a sticky dough forms.
Steps 4-6: Press, bake, and cool. Press your crust dough into a 9 x 13 inch pan, getting it nice and even, then pop it into the oven to bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Place it on a cooling rack when it's done.
Step 7: Make the filling. Beat the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla and salt together with an electric mixer.
Step 8: Spread the filling. Get it in an even layer over the crust. It's fine if the crust is still warm!
Step 9: Top it. Sprinkle the topping in a nice even layer over the pumpkin filling.
Step 10: Bake. Back into the oven! Bake the bars for about 45 minutes. The center may be a tad wobbly, but there shouldn't be any serious sloshing when they're done. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Step 11: Serve. You can slice your bars as soon as they're cool, or chill them for later.
Variations
- Nut swaps. The pecans can be replaced with other nuts, like walnuts or hazelnuts.
- Spice variations. Play around with different combinations of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, and even black pepper.
- Skip the crumb topping. And just enjoy them as basic pumpkin pie bars. They may require a bit less time in the oven, so keep an eye on them.
- Icing drizzle. Combine a cup of organic powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then drizzle it over the topping once the bars have cooled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Probably, but I haven't tried. If you'd like to take a crack at it, an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend would be your best bet.
You can, if you're comfortable cooking and pureeing it yourself first. Make sure the puree is thick, well-drained, and similar in consistency to canned pumpkin. From there it's a direct substitution.
You'd be better off just making my vegan pumpkin pie recipe and adding a half batch of the topping. It may need a bit longer in the oven.
Your vegan pumpkin pie bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Bars with Pecan Crumb Topping
Ingredients
For the Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter, chilled
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
For the Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup organic granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 2 (15 ounce/425 gram) cans pumpkin puree
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ⅔ cup organic granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup organic brown sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the topping, first stir the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut the chilled vegan butter into slices and add it to the bowl, then use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans. Place the topping in the fridge to chill while you make the crust and filling.
- To make the crust, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted vegan butter and vanilla. Stir until a dough forms.
- Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
- Bake the crust until it's slightly puffy and darkened around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack when it comes out of the oven.
- While the crust cools, make the filling. Place all of the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl, then beat them together with an electric mixer at high speed, until blended and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Spread the filling evenly over the crust (it's okay if it's still warm).
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake the bars for about 45 minutes, or until the filling feels partially set but just a touch wobbly in the middle.
- Let the bars cool completely. Slice and serve immediately, or chill for later.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
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