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vegan healthy pumpkin bar with chocolate chips on a plate

Vegan Pumpkin Bars

Looking for healthy pumpkin desserts? Try these easy vegan pumpkin bars. They are gluten-free, low in calories and sugar-free making them the perfect healthy treat to serve around the holidays.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate chips, easy, fall, healthy dessert, healthy pumpkin dessert, pumpkin bar, pumpkin spice, squash, sugarfree, Thanksgiving dessert, vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 9 bars
Calories 160 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

For the roasted pumpkin

  • 400 g pumpkin or kabocha squash
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp soaking liquid from the dates

For the pumpkin bars

  • 6 pitted dates soaked in water over night or for at least 6 hours
  • 1 x roasted pumpkin see above
  • 2 cans chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seed butter or any nut butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger powdered or fresh
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Toppings:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips optional
  • 1/8 cup pepitas

Instructions

For the roasted pumpkin

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 F and line a square baking tin or a baking sheet with some parchment paper and cooking spray. 

  2. Peel pumpkin and cut into cubes. If using squash (kabocha or butternut work well) there's no need to peel.  Toss the cubes with maple syrup and coconut oil and roast until tender, for about 35 minutes. If the mixture is getting dry, pour in some of the soaking liquid from the dates.

  3. Once softened, remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven and add to the bowl of a food processor or blender.

For the Pumpkin Bars

  1. Line a square 9x9-inches brownie pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F. 

  2. Add all the ingredients apart from baking powder and toppings to the blender or food processor and blitz until you have a nice and smooth paste. Add some orange food color, if you want a more vibrant orange.  You want a thick mixture, but if your squash or pumpkin is very starchy, add some more of the date soaking water to help with blending.

  3. Stir in the baking powder and pour the batter into your baking pan. Spread it out evenly and top with chocolate chips and pepitas. 

  4. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool down to room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, better overnight! 

Recipe Video