AIP Pumpkin Pie Bars
These AIP pumpkin pie bars are the perfect Thanksgiving dessert! Serve them topped with coconut cream for a traditional seasonal treat.
Featured Comment
“Hands down amazing! Thank you!! Making these for Thanksgiving this year!” – Colleen
Pumpkin pie is such a Thanksgiving must. I ate pumpkin pie every single Thanksgiving for as far back as I can remember. After changing my diet and needing gluten-free and AIP alternatives like my paleo apple pie bars, pumpkin pie was a no-brainer to make more allergen-friendly!
These AIP pumpkin pie bars are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and absolutely perfect!
Table of contents
Why you’ll love these AIP Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Easy to make. The crust is easy to put together, and the filling is completely no-bake!
- Allergen-friendly. These bars are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and even egg free! They’re not vegan as they use gelatin, but you can even try to use a vegan gelatin to make them even more inclusive.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Coconut flour. Coconut flour is the main ingredient for the crust. I haven’t tried to make this crust coconut-free.
- Arrowroot starch. You can easily swap tapioca starch for the arrowroot starch.
- Gelatin. The gelatin helps as a binder for the crust, and collagen cannot be used as a substitute. You’ll also need this for the gelatin egg in the filling.
- Pumpkin puree. You can use canned pumpkin puree, or even make your own pumpkin puree like I use in my pumpkin orzo recipe!
- Maple syrup. I prefer the maple flavor with pumpkin, but you can also try to use honey instead.
- Coconut cream. You can buy canned coconut cream, or use the cream that hardens on top of a can of coconut milk.
How to make AIP Pumpkin Pie Bars
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Combine the ingredients for the crust in a bowl.
Step two. Add the crust ingredients to a baking pan and bake through. All to cool completely.
Step three. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl, along with the gelatin egg.
Step four. Whisk well until fully combined.
Step five. Add the filling to the cooled crust and allow it to set in the fridge.
Step six. Once set, slice the bars and add cinnamon and coconut cream on top!
What is a gelatin egg?
A gelatin egg is an egg substitute made with water and gelatin. It can be used in baking as a binder, and in no bake recipes to help fillings set.
How do you make a gelatin egg?
- Combine the water and gelatin in a small sauce pan. Allow to rest until hardened.
- Place on the stove over low heat, allowing to come to liquid.
- Remove from the heat and whisk/froth the gelatin mixure until frothy.
- Use immediatly!
Tips & Tricks
- Use a hand frother to whisk the gelatin egg. This is one of my favorite hacks for making a gelatin egg extra frothy!
- Let it set overnight if you’re short on time. If you’re making this for the holidays, you can easily make it the night or evening before, and slice it the next day when you’re ready to serve.
Recipe FAQS
Since the filling is a no-cook recipe, you’ll still need to use a gelatin egg instead of a real egg.
The gelatin is what helps the filling set in the fridge, so collagen will not work as a swap.
More AIP Thanksgiving Recipes to Try…
AIP Pumpkin Pie Bars
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Ingredients
For the crust
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
For the filling
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut cream, softened (plus additional for topping if desired)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp gelatin
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper lightly greased with coconut oil.
- Mix the dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Stir in the coconut oil and maple syrup until thoroughly combined.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the baking pan, evenly dispersing it. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
For the filling
- Mix the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut cream, and cinnamon until well combined. Stir to make sure the coconut cream is softened and no clumps remain.
- Make the gelatin egg by pouring the water into a small saucepan and sprinkling the gelatin over top. Allow it to harden for 2-3 minutes. Set the pot on the stove top set to low heat for 1-2 minutes to allow the gelatin to melt and the mixture to turn back into liquid. Remove from the heat and use a whisk or a milk frother to vigorously whisk until frothy. Pour into the pumpkin mixture and combine.
- Pour the filling mixture into the baking pan over the crust and use a spoon or rubber spatula to even out the top.
- Place in the fridge to set for 3-4 hours.
- Once fully set, remove from the baking pan and slice into 9 slices. Top with additional cinnamon and whipped coconut cream if desired.
Notes
Photos by modern food stories.
I figured out my last question. I make these bars all the time and even non aip people love these! They are always a hit
Yay!!
Are we supposed to melt the coconut oil? I have been making these bars for years and i cant remember if its melted or not
Yes I melt it!
These look so good!! Do you have any ingredient substitution suggestions for someone on AIP who is also coconut intolerant? I desperately want to make a pumpkin dessert but am having a hard time finding one that’s coconut free.
Hi, Cora! I unfortunately don’t, so sorry!
Hands down amazing! Thank you!!
Making these for thanksgiving this year!
Thank you so much!!
I didn’t get coconut flour in time. Can I sub with Tapioca flour or tigernut?
No, those won’t work in place of the coconut flour
I was REALLY craving an AIP dessert so I attempted your Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars and it turned out wonderfully, to my surprise. I suck at baking and I wasn’t thrilled with the time it takes to fix the crust, let it bake, then let it cool, then add the prepared topping, then let it set, etc. BUT it was worth it and wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. I did give the recipe 4 stars though for two things- too much coconut oil and not enough sweetener. Being a healthier option, I would agree that we should use less sweetener (in this case, maple syrup) but it was barely sweet at all. I even added a bit of coconut sugar after reading some of the comments and that only put a dent in it. I would suggest modifying the recipe for additional sweetener. As far as the coconut oil goes, it was so much that my body couldn’t handle it. Coconut oil in the crust and the topping- it’s just a lot. I would love an alternative to so much oil. I still give this 4 stars as it helped curb my sweet tooth and gave me pumpkin pie vibes. Love how it actual set and then was very easy to cut. If I ever make this again I would add more coconut sugar or maple syrup and find a solution to the coconut oil.
Thanks for making it! Yes, adding more maple syrup or coconut sugar will help sweeten the recipe!
I never thought they would turn out so great as they did! I thought the filling would be too soupy after refrigerating for 3 hours they were perfect! Good consistency and the crust was really great!
Lastly, I never thought they would turn out at all after reading the last line “ do not use can pumpkin “
I used canned pumpkin and it was fine!
So glad you liked the recipe!!
So I’m back to say how DELICIOUS these are! I am so impressed with the crust too! I was almost wishing to have an entire cookie of just that crust. I might make it alone sometime just to enjoy by itself lol. 5 stars 😉
Hi! Can you use and egg instead of the gelatin?