Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Bars

Do you love homemade pumpkin pie, but hate making that finicky pie crust? Well, fret no more and bake these delicious pumpkin pie bars instead! With a flaky shortbread crust (that you’d never know is gluten-free) and a rich, creamy pumpkin filling, these bars taste just like pumpkin pie but can be made in half the time!

If you like this recipe, you’d absolutely love my gluten-free apple pie bars that have the same shortbread crust.

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Pumpkin pie is a serious contender for my favorite dessert of the holiday season. That luscious pumpkin flavor combined with the cozy autumn spices and the sweet buttery crust— it’s absolute holiday heaven. Not to mention that it goes perfectly with other winter treats like egg nog, hot chocolate, and cookies. And of course, the best pumpkin pies are always homemade.

However, making a pie crust from scratch, especially a gluten-free one, can be a bit of a pain. Without the gluten to provide elasticity, the pie dough can be very sticky and difficult to roll out, resulting in a crumbly mess. Of course, with some time and practice, it’s definitely possible to make a decent gluten-free pie crust. But let’s be honest—it’s the holiday season, there’s always a million things to do, and nobody likes waiting around for pie!

And so, I have the perfect solution: quick, easy, and completely delicious pumpkin pie bars. The custard center is made exactly the same way as a normal pumpkin pie filling, but instead of a traditional pie crust, I use a gluten-free shortbread crust, which is far, far easier to make. The result? Holiday magic without the mess or heartache!

So be courageous and try something a little different this holiday season: bake these amazing gluten-free pumpkin pie bars!

What you will need

First, gather your ingredients. Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix for this recipe. I used pumpkin puree from a can, but fresh pumpkin will also work just fine.

• unsalted butter
• granulated or caster sugar
• gluten-free plain flour (I used Doves Farm Freee)
• milk
• pumpkin puree
• heavy cream
• brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon
• ground cloves
• ground ginger
• nutmeg
• salt

How to make Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Bars

Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F / 180⁰ C/ 160⁰ C Fan. Grease and line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step! Without the parchment paper, removing the pumpkin pie bars from the pan will be a long and painful process.

First, let’s make the shortbread crust. In a mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the flour and milk and beat until combined. The mixture should be quite crumbly.

Press the dough into the bottom of the lined pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until it’s a nice golden brown.

And now for the filling. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and blend with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth without any lumps.

Remove the shortbread crust from the oven, and pour the pumpkin pie filling over the warm crust. Lightly tap to remove any air bubbles. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning too soon.

Bake for 65-70 minutes until the center is firm. Remove the tin foil after 30 minutes to allow the top to brown.

Remove from the oven, allow it to cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.

Once chilled, remove from the pan by gently lifting the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into square bars (9 large bars or 16 smaller bars).

These gorgeous pumpkin pie bars are best served cold, straight out of the fridge. They are delicious on their own, but they taste even better with a dollop with whipped cream on top, as well as an artful dusting of cinnamon. Go ahead, treat yourself this holiday season.

Tips for Success!

• I recommend weighing your ingredients for better accuracy. Since I bought a kitchen scale, I find it so much easier and faster than measuring by cups.
• Greasing your pan and lining it with parchment paper is essential! If you skip this step, it will be very difficult to remove the pumpkin pie bars from the pan.
• You need soft butter for the crust. I usually let my butter sit out of the fridge on the counter for a few hours before baking if the weather is warm, or overnight in the colder months.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Bars

If you love homemade pumpkin pie then you've got to try these gluten-free pumpkin pie bars! With a flaky shortbread crust and a rich, creamy pumpkin filling, these bars taste just like pumpkin pie but can be made in half the time!

2 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Chill time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Calories 257 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the crust:

• 75g soft unsalted butter (⅓ cup)
• 50g granulated or caster sugar
• 150g all-purpose gluten-free flour (1 cup)
• 4 tbsp milk

For the filling:

• 1 can pumpkin puree (425g or 15 oz) not pumpkin pie filling
• 120 ml heavy cream (½ cup)
• 80g brown sugar (½ cup packed)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350⁰F / 180C ⁰ /160C⁰. Grease and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the flour and milk and beat until combined. The mixture should be quite crumbly.
• Press the dough into the bottom of the lined pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and blend with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth without any lumps.
• Remove the crust from the oven, and pour the filling over the warm crust. Lightly tap to remove any air bubbles. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning too soon.
• Bake for 65-70 minutes until the center is firm. Remove the tin foil after 30 minutes to allow the top to brown.
• Remove from the oven, allow it to cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.
• Once chilled, remove from the pan by gently lifting the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into square bars (9 large bars or 16 smaller bars).

Notes

• These pumpkin pie bars are best served cold straight out of the fridge. 
• Store the bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• To freeze, wrap the bars in plastic wrap and store them in a ziplock bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.

Keyword holiday recipes, Pumpkin pie, shortbread crust, Thanksgiving

This nutritional information is based on the brands and ingredients I used for this recipe. They may not be 100% accurate for you. Please check your nutrition labels for more precise information.