I had a craving for both pumpkin AND pecan pie. It wouldn’t be odd for me to actually eat a bit of both. Then I thought, why not combine them into square form!? Voila! I’ve created these Pumpkin Pecan Pie Bars as a result and they’re TASTY! I’ve made them with healthy fats, zero grains, and coconut sugar. They’re both gluten and dairy free so everyone can indulge a little. I hope you like them!

Yield: 12 squares

Prep + bake time: 1.25 hours

Ingredients

CRUST:

2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

PUMPKIN FILLING:

1- 15 oz can pumpkin (*see note) 

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

2 large eggs room temperature

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice = 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice + 1/4 tsp ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

PECAN TOPPING: 

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp almond or coconut milk

2 cups chopped pecans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil or parchment paper.
2. To make the crust, in a small mixing bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt until combined. Press into bottom of pan and use a spoon to flatten and smooth the top.
3. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until slightly golden brown — be careful not to overcook.
4. While crust is baking, make the pumpkin filling. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut milk, eggs, spices, and salt. Whisk until completely smooth. 
5. Remove crust from the oven and pour filling over baked crust and return to oven to cook for 20 minutes. 
6. While the pumpkin filling is baking, make the pecan topping. In a small saucepan combine coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla and bring to a boil stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. 
7. Once the mixture has come to a boil and has begun to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the milk and pecans until combined and nuts are covered by caramel mixture. 
8. When the pumpkin filling has cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully distribute the pecan mixture over top, then return to the oven for 30 minutes more to cook through. 
9. Let cool at room temperature, then chill in fridge until ready to serve. Cut into squares and serve with your choice of cream on top. Enjoy!

*Best results are with real pumpkin purée. Be careful not to use pumpkin pie filling as it’s already sweetened and has spices in it. 

P.S. If you don’t like pecans or want something a little less sweet, leave off the pecan topping. You’ll get delicious pumpkin pie bars that are so much easier to make than  pumpkin pie with regular crust 😉