These are the best things for make for parties because it makes 16 incredible bars. The base is a chewy texture that will remind you of your favorite dessert bars – brownies, blondies – you name it!
On top is a rich and velvety cream cheese frosting that tastes like every frosting recipe you loved as a kid!
Together, this is a low-carb dessert that will fill you up and satisfy your sweet and pumpkin cravings.
If pumpkin isn’t exactly what you’re craving, how about a no-bake chocolate cheesecake? For even more chocolate taste, whip up a batch of low-carb chocolate peanut butter snack bites.
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Low-Carb Pumpkin Bars Tips
When you make these pumpkin bars, pay attention to a few essential tips so you make them perfectly the first time.
- Buy pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are sold right next to each other, but pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices.
- Use full-fat cream cheese. Not only does it taste better, but it’s better for you too.
- Use the sweeteners in the recipe. If you’re concerned about which brands or types of keto sweeteners are best, check out our sweeteners guide.
- Be quick. When you transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish, don’t let it sit for very long. Place it immediately into the oven so it doesn’t thicken.
- For the fluffiest cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer. Keep mixing until the texture changes from dense to airy.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon pink salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup brown sugar alternative sweetener
- 1 15oz. Can pumpkin puree (we used Libby’s)
Low-Carb Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoon butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sweetener blend
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2. Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar alternative for about 2 minutes, until bubbly. Add in pumpkin puree and mix well.
Step 4. Mix in dry ingredients and stir together quickly, then transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Don’t let the batter sit too long, as it will thicken.
Step 5. Bake for 40-50 minutes until bars are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the dish for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto the cooling rack. Once cool, invert the whole cake onto a plate or tray.
Step 6. To make the frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sweetener, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
Step 7. Spread frosting onto bars, then cut into 16 squares.
Low-Carb Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Dish
- Medium Bowl
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bars
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Pink Salt
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 5 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar Alternative Sweetener
- 15 ounces Pumpkin Puree
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp Butter softened
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sweetener Blend
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar alternative for about 2 minutes, until bubbly. Add in pumpkin puree and mix well.
- Mix in dry ingredients and stir together quickly, then transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Don’t let batter sit too long, as it will thicken.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until bars are set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in dish for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Once cool, invert whole cake onto plate or tray.
- To make frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread frosting onto bars, then cut into 16 squares.
Nutrition
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simple. easy. delicious!
All my family loved these. A great seasonal treat to keep in the fridge or lunchbox when pumpkin spice is everywhere!
Absolutely scrumptious!
looks so yummy and can’t wait to make them one day :O}
Thank you –
Yummy dessert!
I don’t use coconut flour but would love to make these. Can you suggest a substitution?
Hi Carolyn,
Almond flour is the best low-carb substitute for coconut flour. You’ll have to use more of it than coconut flour because it doesn’t absorb moisture as well as coconut flour does. Most people have said that increasing the almond flour to 2 cups is the best way to replace the 1/4 a cup coconut flour, but I have not tested it personally. Adding more almond flour will also double the carbs. I’ll keep looking into this for you though!
Can these bars be frozen?
Hi Cheryl!
Yes, you can freeze these bars. I suggest “flash freezing” them first. Take them out of the pan, place the bars on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for about 2 hours. Once the bars are completely frozen, wrap them tightly in plastic food wrap (or parchment paper, or aluminum foil) and put the bars in a freezer bag. They will stay fresh for about 6 months in the freezer. Hope this helps!
is the carb count listed as total carbs or net carbs?
Shelly,
The carb count listed is total carbs. We also listed the fiber.
Hi, we have nut allergies in our family. Do you have any recommendations for a sub flour for the almond flour?
They are delicious – you’d never know they are low carb.
8×8 baking dish and cut into 16 slices? Isn’t that like a 2×2 slice, 4 carbs per slice? No one will be able to stop at that. so sad, love me some pumpkin anything.
Hi Kim! Yes, you are correct; there are 4 grams of carbs per slice. I hear you on the temptation to eat more! They are so tasty LOL!!!
I can’t wait to try these!
Can you substitute avocado oil 1:1 as butter replacement?
Thank you
We would not recommend that as it would change the texture and flavor of the bars.
What can I use as a brown sugar substitute that is natural? Honey? Maple syrup?
Both regular honey and maple syrup would not be low carb. You could look for a low-carb version of honey or maple syrup if you really don’t want to use the low-carb brown sugar substitute. However, it would probably change the texture up quite a bit, so we wouldn’t recommend it as we have not tested that.
Great recipe! I love cakes but need to watch my sugar intake! Very helpful and delicious looking!
What would be a brown sugar alternative?? Thank you!
Hey! You can try Swerve’s Brown Sugar Substitute!
I tried baking a double batch of these to bring to an office potluck. I used a 9×13 pan. I’m not sure what I did wrong. It never fully cooked. I put it in the oven right away after blending the batter. I pulled it out of the oven after 25 minutes when the toothpick was clean. I left it in the pan for another 15 minutes, then inverted on a cooling rack, and it fell apart. I picked up a couple of pieces, and they were very doughy. I put it all back in the pan and smoothed all the pieces back together, then baked for another half hour, checking the texture every ten minutes. They’re still really doughy. I love the flavor, and really want to try these again. I’m wondering if a double batch doesn’t need two full cans of pumpkin. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!