Keto Pumpkin Pie Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
These Keto Pumpkin Pie Bars are a deliciously healthy dessert you’ll love, especially during the holiday season! They are 100% keto-friendly but not lacking in pumpkin flavor! I used canned pumpkin puree and a sugar-free sweetener to keep these pumpkin bars low carb but packed with flavor!
How to Make Keto Pumpkin Pie Bars Recipe
I just love pumpkin! They are a sign that fall is here, and coziness is among us! These low carb pumpkin pie bars are everything you want from a fall treat. If you love low carb pumpkin desserts as much as me, you need to try my Pumpkin Bread and my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. Both recipes are keto-friendly and made without sugar.
This recipe is based on Paula Deen’s pumpkin bars. Her recipes are simply amazing. But since her recipe is not for the keto dieter, I swapped out some of the ingredients that weren’t so keto-friendly like the white flour and sugar for coconut flour and a sugar-free sweetener. I was amazed at how easy it was to alter the ingredients to change up a recipe to make it both keto and low carb. These bars are the perfect marriage of pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, and they are gluten-free (although I always suggest double-checking the labels of the exact ingredients you use.
Pumpkin bars usually have a cream cheese frosting, which adds more sweetness to an already sweet dessert. So in an attempt to keep the sweetness balanced, I like to add just a dollop of the cream cheese icing instead of spreading it over the entire bar. You could, of course, omit the frosting entirely if you wanted or smother it on whatever YOUR taste buds prefer! Either way, your pumpkin bars will be super moist, decadent, and perfect for the keto diet.
Keto Pumpkin Bar Ingredients:
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- Pumpkin puree– This adds all your pumpkin flavor and keeps your bars moist.
- Lakanto Monkfruit – I used this sugar-free sweetener for this recipe. I use the granulated version for the pumpkin bars and the powdered for the icing. You could also use Swerve or Besti Monkfruit with Allulose.
- Coconut flour- This helps to bind the bars together without adding gluten or grains.
- Eggs– Also, help to hold your bars together while adding healthy fats and protein.
- Pumpkin pie spices– Spices are what bring the flavor and warmness to all pumpkin desserts. Included are spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, and ginger.
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
- Cream cheese, butter– This forms the base of your frosting and makes your frosting smooth and creamy.
- Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered – The powdered version is ideal for frostings.
- Vanilla extract– Adds delicious vanilla flavor.
Steps to making this keto pumpkin bars recipe:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine eggs, Lakanto Monkfruit Classic, melted coconut oil, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until combined.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to all other ingredients and mix well. You can use almond flour, but you will need four times as much as the coconut flour. The conversion is 1/4 cup coconut flour equals 1 cup almond flour.
Step 4: Pour puree into a greased 9 x 9″ baking dish. Bake for 28 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. This recipe makes an 8 x 8 pan, but you could double it and use a 9 X 13 casserole dish.
Step 5: Mix the cream cheese frosting ingredients, and when your pumpkin bars are fully cooled, add a dollop of the frosting to each square.
Sweetener options for your keto pumpkin bars
Believe it or not, pumpkin puree is not very sweet at all. Keep in mind, if you purchase “pumpkin pie filling,” it is pre-sweetened with sugar and spices, which is NOT what we want. Make sure you purchase plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling!
To sweeten these low carb pumpkin bars, I have used both Swerve and Monk Fruit interchangeably. Recently, I’ve been using Besti Monkfruit with Allulose Blend and like it, too. So feel free to use whichever one you prefer. Both brands offer granulated, confectioners, and a brown sugar keto-friendly sweetener.
Your cream cheese frosting
As I mention in my recipe, I prefer to use Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered. This is a powdered sugar that is ideal for frostings and icings. Using granulated sugar will be tough to dissolve and may make your icing taste grainy.
My cream cheese icing is only enough for a dollop on each bar. If you want to ice your entire pumpkin bar, I recommend doubling the recipe so it will be enough to coat the entire surface.
Other keto pumpkin recipes you may like:
Keto Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Swirl
Best Keto Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Keto Pumpkin Cake with a Crunchy Streusel Topping
Mini Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
How to Make Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Bars:
Keto Pumpkin Pie Bars w/ Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bars:
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon Monkfruit Classic
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 8 oz pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Icing:
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons of butter softened
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Lakanto Monkfruit Powdered
- ½ tsp vanilla flavoring
Instructions
For the Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine eggs, Lakanto Monkfruit Classic, melted coconut oil, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice.
- With a mixer, beat until the ingredients are combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add flour mixture to all other ingredients and mix well.
- Pour into a greased 9X9 baking pan.
- Bake for 28 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the Icing:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a mixer until combined.
- Once the pumpkin bars have cooled, cut into squares, and add a dollop of cream cheese icing to each.
- Optional - To frost the entire pan of pumpkin bars, you would need to double the icing recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I don’t have a 9×9 pan just 11×9 will that work?
It might work, but they will be flatter and will cook faster.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Mine were soft still, and I baked them for practically an hour – not sure why, but I do know they were delicious. My daughter who turned up her nose at the mention of pumpkin loved them too. Really great recipe!!
While all ovens cook differently, these bars are supposed to be soft. They aren’t the same consistency as some non-keto bars. I’m glad you enjoyed them.
These were amazing! I’m going to make them for Thanksgiving too! I didn’t have coconut flour so I used one cup of almond flour and added an extra egg and the texture was great. They were spongy and moist and held their shape. My husband doesn’t usually like my keto desserts and he ate 3 lol.
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved them and made tweaks that worked for you.
Is there a way to make this keto friendly for someone allergic to all tree nuts, coconut and peanuts and soybeans? Thanks!
We use coconut flour since my daughter is allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. I am not familiar with any other options.
These are fantastic! Served with whipped cream. Wondering how they would hold up if frozen to have on hand for quick sweet treat. Have you tried freezing?
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed!
In the picture it looks like you used swerve brown sugar. Would a combination of granular and brown make the consistency the same?
I would think it would work but, because I’ve never combined the two sugars before, I’m not sure.
Wow! Excellent recipe – made it exactly as you listed it. Being able to use up a can of pumpkin was why I tried this recipe but now it’s gonna be added to my favorites file!! ♥️
Do you bake the crust first or just put the filling on top and then bake? Thanks so much!
This recipe doesn’t have a crust.
I’m wanting to try these for Thanksgiving. But I don’t like the flavor of Monk. Would I use the same quantity if I use erythritol?
Yes
Can I use Splena in this recipe?
I’ve only made it as is so I’m not sure how it would turn out exactly.
Should’ve read as “oil as I am getting ready to make them.”
Hi! ..so my bars came out with a green hue to them.. not sure how they taste bc I haven’t felt like taking a bite 🙁 lol .. I read up and asked on other Keto boards, seems the baking soda can impact the pH level of other ingredients/ causing the color reaction. Any recommendations on how to avoid this from happening??
I’ve never had anything I make turn green. Was the baking soda old?
Hi! I tried these and mine were very “wet”, never formed up. I’m wondering if I did something wrong with coconut oil. Did you measure 1/2 solid and then melt or should be 1/2 cup when melted? Just wondering if I measured wrong?
Should have said *firmed not formed
I used 1/2 cup melted. The texture is very moist.
I just want to clarify as I am still confused. Measure 1/2 cup of solid coconut oil and then melt ? Or use 1/2 of already melted coconut oil? As mine came out very wet as well… but they tasted delicious 😋
I measure out 1/2 cup and melt. The texture is a little more on the moist side as it takes quite a bit of wet ingredients as coconut flour can make them very dry if not.
I can’t wait to make these bars, but I’m going to add a crust to them. I noticed one of your readers mentioned her’s turning green. It’s the Baking Powder . She needs to use the Aluminum Free baking powder. For some unknown reason, when making things with Coconut Flour regular baking powder will turn your creation green. It’s still edible, just looks strange.
These were so good! I made them for Thanksgiving dessert so I could stay true to my Keto diet and everyone loved them. I’m going to make another batch this week, not just at Thanksgiving.
That’s awesome! Glad everyone loved them.