These gluten-free pumpkin bars feature a soft, spiced pumpkin sheet cake topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. They make the perfect gluten-free fall dessert!
From the type of gluten-free flour to use to dairy-free substitutes, this post has all the tips and tricks you’ll need to make gluten-free pumpkin bars. They turn out soft, but sturdy and are loaded with pumpkin spice flavor.
These gluten-free pumpkin bars are everything I love about fall. They’re soft, spiced and topped with a pillowy layer of cream cheese frosting. This is an easy recipe that’s full of fall flavor – you’ll want to make it all season!
I also love these pumpkin bars because they’re great to make for a crowd. One sheet pan can be sliced and served up for any fall/holiday gathering. Be warned they disappear fast! 😉
VIDEO: How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
It’s hard to pick just one favorite gluten-free pumpkin dessert! For more gluten-free pumpkin recipes, try these gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles, this gluten-free pumpkin roll or gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake.
From gluten-free pumpkin donuts, gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes, gluten-free pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and gluten-free pumpkin muffins to the perfect gluten-free pumpkin pie (with a homemade gf pie crust!) there is no shortage of recipes for pumpkin season on this blog. Check out my whole collection of gluten-free pumpkin recipes here.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These pumpkin bars are made with easy-to-find pantry staples. Here are a few more notes on the key ingredients. If you have any additional questions feel free to leave me a comment below!
- Gluten-free 1:1 Baking Flour: I like to use a high quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend like King Arthur Flour in my baked goods. Look for a blend that contains xanthan gum for best results. These pumpkin bars will not turn out with almond flour or coconut flour as a substitute.
- Canned Pumpkin: You’ll use the whole 15oz can of pumpkin for this recipe! Be sure to select 100% pumpkin puree rather than canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: For that classic pumpkin flavor! You can swap in 2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the individual spices if you have it on hand.
- Oil: Use any kind of oil you like! I usually use vegetable oil or coconut oil.
- Sugar: White cane sugar and brown sugar help with the consistency of the batter and the structure of the final cake. Unfortunately maple syrup or coconut sugar won’t work in this recipe.
You might also like these recipes for gluten-free pumpkin bread, gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread and gluten-free pumpkin cake.
Make the Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
Tip: Set out your butter/cream cheese when you start making the cake so they can be at room temperature when it’s time to make the frosting.
- In a seperate bowl or measuring cup combine the pumpkin, milk and vanilla extract, then whisk together until smooth.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, white sugar and brown sugar. Mix on medium high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and pale in color.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil. Mix until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add 1/2 of the the dry ingredient mixture. Mix until combined then add 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture.
- Repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed together.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula. Bake at 375F for about 25-30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed lightly. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
What Pan to Use for Pumpkin Bars
It’s best to use a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan for pumpkin bars. If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, you can also use a 9×13 pan. The bars will need to bake for an additional 5 minutes and will be slightly thicker.
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Bars
Dairy-free option? These pumpkin bars can be made dairy-free with a few substitutions. Here are my favorite dairy-free substitutions.
- Almond Milk – in place of milk
- Earth Balance Buttery Sticks – or vegan butter of choice in place of butter
- Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese – in place of cream cheese
You also might like this full collection of gluten-free thanksgiving recipes.
Storage
It’s best to chill these bars for 30 minutes before slicing. These gluten-free pumpkin squares should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can take them out a few minutes before serving, but I prefer to eat them slightly cold!
More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes
Happy Baking! If you try this recipe be sure to leave me a comment and star rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 230g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Other:
- 15 oz pumpkin puree one small can
- 1/4 cup milk 62 grams (or almond milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup white sugar 160 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 110 grams
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil 130 grams
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar 340 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Bars:
- Preheat oven to 375F and generously grease a 10x15x1 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray. (PS – This is a good time to set out your butter/cream cheese for the frosting so it's at room temperature when you need it!)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or large measuring cup, combine the pumpkin, milk and vanilla extract, then whisk together until smooth.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, white sugar and brown sugar. Mix on medium high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and pale in color. With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil. Mix until combined.
- With the mixer running on low, add 1/2 of the the dry ingredient mixture. Mix until combined then add 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture. Repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed together.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread out into an even layer using an offset spatula. Bake at 375F for about 25-30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when pressed lightly. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Beat on low then switch to high for about three minutes or until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then mix for another 30 seconds or so.
- Smooth the frosting over the cooled pumpkin bars. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
I’m not gluten free but one of my coworkers is, so I made these for the office so that they could partake in some baked goods. Admittedly, I didn’t quite believe all the comments that you can’t tell they’re GF, but holy cow. Even the die hard gluten fans in the office were obsessed with these! They definitely lean cake instead of the brownie texture I was expecting, and they’re so incredibly moist. Adding these to my regular rotation, though next time I’ll bump the spices up just a bit.
Hi Jessica, thanks so much for the kind review! That’s great to hear everyone enjoyed them, and how thoughtful of you to make them for your gluten-free co-workers!
We loved these pumpkin bars!! We went to a friend’s house for a group of 8 of us and only one person was GF so I made these. Nobody could tell they were gluten-free bars, and everyone raved about how good they were! A huge hit indeed!
Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us, Maria! It’s great to hear that the pumpkin bars were a success and loved by all. Happy baking!
I made this for the Veteren’s Day celebration and got great response from everyone. Most did not know they were free of gluten. Thanks!
We’re so pleased to hear the pumpkin bars were enjoyed by all! Thank you for taking the time to share with us, Barbara!
These bars sound absolutely delicious! I’m looking forward to making them to bring to my large family gathering for Thanksgiving! I’m the only Celiac, so I like to make dishes that don’t seem “gluten free” that others can enjoy. Thank you!!
We hope the recipe goes well for you and that the bars are a hit at Thanksgiving! Happy baking, Rebecca!
The BEST pumpkin bars ever!!! I was wondering if I could use regular AP flour in place of the GF flour. Made these for a GF friend but my house is not GF and I don’t usually have GF flour. Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us, Kylee! We’re so glad the bars were a hit! Yes, you should be able to replace the gf flour blend with regular all-purpose flour 1:1. Happy baking!
I tried this recipe for the first time this year and WOW! The cake is so light and practically melts in your mouth.
Thank you for such kind feedback, Nikki! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin bars so much!
Will this be good if made the day before and then frosted right before serving? I’m excited to try this!
Hi Emily, yes that should work! Just make sure to store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge. We hope you love the recipe!
I loved this GF pumpkin bar! I didn’t have any almond milk so I used coconut milk instead and it was still delicious!!
We’re so pleased you enjoyed the pumpkin bars, Jayme! Thank you for your kind review!
Simply delicious
We’re so pleased you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for your kind review!
This is a must save recipe! Fluffy, spongy, with great flavor.
Thank you.
We’re so pleased you enjoyed the recipe this much, Kristin! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive review with us. Happy baking!
No one in my family realized this was gluten free!
It’s delicious!
Can it be baked in a Bundt pan as well?
Hi Judy, these gf pumpkin bars are designed for a jelly roll pan ideally. While they’ll work in a 9×13, a bundt pan isn’t recommended since the thickness will make a dense cake. For a bundt pan, we’d recommend this gf pumpkin bundt cake!
I made these bars as per the recipe for a Thanksgiving Day community pot luck and they were a huge hit! Wonderful pumpkin flavors and a soft, sturdy and springy bar. The frosting is a perfect topper. This is now in my must-bake list. Thank you for a great recipe!
Aww, we’re so happy to hear the pumpkin bars were such a hit at the potluck! Thank you for taking the time to share such amazing feedback with us, Diana. Happy baking!
This is our favorite dessert! My kids love it for breakfast the next day, too! And it tastes just as good, if not better the next day!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear the pumpkin bars are a family favorite! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us, Carol!
Hey!
My gluten free plain flour doesn’t contain xantham gum. How much should I add to the recipe please?
Thanks
Hi Rebecca, we’d start with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum per 1 cup of gf flour. We hope you love the recipe!
**This** is the recipe. Soooo good. Not gritty. Delicious pumpkin flavor. So moist.
Yay! We’re so pleased you loved the recipe so much, Lauren! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!