gfe--gluten free easily

Living gluten free easily by eating real food and a few gf processed foods

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars (Grain Free)

Share on Pinterest
For affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars. My word; these are good! It took three tries to get this recipe right but the effort was worth it.

I wanted a new entry for my ongoing Pumpkin Pie Plus … series. What I had in mind was pumpkin with chocolate in bar or brownie form, namely Pumpkin Butter Chocolate Brownies. But adding even a small amount of cocoa overpowered the pumpkin the first two times I tried and made for an almost bitter baked good.

Solution? Make the bar more like a chocolate chip cookie so that the chocolate complements the pumpkin and other ingredients versus overwhelms them. The result? These pretty heavenly Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars.

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars. Honestly, the name alone makes my mouth water! I love ALL those ingredients! These bars have been rated as my best recipe ever by one family member. Give them a try and see what you think. They're gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo and oh so good! [from GlutenFreeEasilly.com] (photo)

I started out with the idea to use Kelly’s amazing Flourless Brownies using my pumpkin butter instead of the required nut and/or sun butter. But I ended up using a bar variation of my Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies as the basis for my recipe. Oh, and while I really wanted to use pumpkin butter totally in lieu of eggs, my mixtures were coming out far too wet and I just couldn’t make an egg-free, vegan version happen in the allotted time.

Badge for Pumpkin SeriesThis last version—the successful one that is shown—came together when Mr. GFE and I arrived home from camping and I had 45 minutes to “create” before we were due at a cousins’ crab feast. Under pressure, I went with what suddenly made sense and it worked. Everyone loved these bars and one cousin proclaimed “without a doubt, your best recipe ever!” I gratefully accepted that compliment.

These bars have a great undertone of pumpkin with just enough spice, a lovely texture provided by the almond flour and chopped pecans, just the right amount of mouthfeel from the coconut oil, and finally, everything that those always beloved chocolate chips add to any recipe. So these bars are definitely winners! Despite photos taken “on the run,” I hope you can see how beautiful and scrumptious these bars are.

They are also the perfect entries for this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! event with the theme of Spiced Desserts (hosted by Noosh of For the Love of  Food), Linda’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays (monthly challenge: Create a Recipe Using Squash), and Kelly’s Our Spunky Holiday. As these bars are free of gluten, grains, dairy, and refined sugar (when made without chocolate chips or made using a sugar free dark chocolate bar broken into pieces), these are also terrific for the Paleo Parents’  (now Real Everything) Healthy Halloween Recipe Roundup! 

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars. Honestly, the name alone makes my mouth water! I love ALL those ingredients! These bars have been rated as my best recipe ever by one family member. Give them a try and see what you think. They're gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo and oh so good! [from GlutenFreeEasilly.com] (photo)

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe

 

Yield: 24 bars

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars (Grain Free, Dairy Free)

Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars. Honestly, the name alone makes my mouth water! I love ALL those ingredients! These bars have been rated as my best recipe ever by one family member. Give them a try and see what you think. They're gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo and oh so good! [from GlutenFreeEasilly.com] (photo)

These bars are rich and delicious and on the healthier side because of the use of ingredients like almond flour, coconut oil, and pumpkin butter.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Inactive Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar (or more, to taste; see notes)
  • ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied (or more; see notes)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin butter (made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, sea salt, and honey; see recipe here)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups almond flour (I use Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
  • 2/3 cup pecans, chopped
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips (see notes for dairy free, grain free, and refined sugar free)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
  2. Add coconut sugar to a large mixing bowl. Stir in coconut oil.
  3. Stir in eggs, pumpkin butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  4. Add almond flour, baking soda, salt, pecans, and chocolate chips, mixing until all ingredients are fully incorporated into the batter.
  5. Using a spatula, evenly spread mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes or so. Check for doneness using a toothpick.
  7. Cool in pan at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips and Mega Chunks are dairy free and made with evaporated cane juice. Enjoy Life's Dark Chocolate Morsels contain only two ingredients--unsweetened chocolate and cane sugar. Enjoy Life products are also grain free.

Equal Exchange brand chocolate chips are excellent chocolate chips, which have dairy-free versions.

Omit chocolate chips or use cacao nibs in their place for a completely sugar-free option.

I lowered the sugar a tad for this recipe; if you like sweet, you may wish to increase the amount, but with the already sweetened pumpkin butter, the chocolate chips, and the natural sweetness of coconut sugar and pecans, we found this amount to be about right.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Shirley Braden
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts
Originally published October 17, 2011; updated October 15, 2021.

Free Email Updates to gfe

Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

Comments

    • Shirley says

      Stacy–Again, you are a dear to include my recipe after the fact! My fingers will be crossed that you enjoy these when you get to make them. 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Kalyn–Thanks so much! I must admit it’s pretty cool to see the photos there now. Unfortunately, I think that addition might have broken my print capability. The two don’t seem related, but they hapended at the exact same time. 😉 Must wait for my web person to get back into town and do her magic.

      After taking the remaining bars in to work today, I’ve still got three left for my cross-country flight tomorrow. 🙂 (We only have four folks at work and one doesn’t eat almonds.)

      Shirley

      Reply

  3. Amber says

    These look so delightful Shirley!!! Are they as moist as they look?? Your ingredients are great. One thing…your “see recipe here” (for pumpkin butter) link doesn’t look active?

    I made my fist submission to Our Spunky Holiday on Saturday…so exciting!! http://www.thetastyalternative.com/

    Be Well,
    -Amber

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Amber–Thanks! Yes, they are quite moist, BUT in the recipe here I backed down on the coconut oil some as the bars did leave a bit of a grease impression on the napkin. If you make these and the batter looks dry, add a bit more coconut oil … maybe a tablespoon to begin with. I think there will be some variations per individual recipes based on how dense/wet one’s pumpkin butter is, too.

      Thanks for the heads up on the missing link! I should make a rule never to have multiple links in my posts. I included the link in the first reference, but totally missed the second one as in my mind, I had already linked the recipe.

      You submission to Our Spunky Holiday is very impressive! Those fig pops look very intriguing. 😉

      Hugs,
      Shirley

      Reply

  5. Amber says

    Hi Shirley~

    I make my own “candy” each year for my kids around the most popular candy holidays. I just couldn’t decide which ones to add this year, so I went with lucky #3. I’m totally addicted to Karina’s rice crispy treats (I’ve made them about 10 times) and I thought chocolate would be a winning combination. It was!

    You have a good night Shirley!
    –Amber

    Reply

  7. Desi@ThePalatePeacemaker says

    Whoa. Shirley. Just… Whoa. This is a combination of all my favorite things. In one recipe. I salute you…. wait, no, I BOW BEFORE YOU. 🙂 Thank you for this! I’m off to make an egg-free version! xo

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Desi–Always love your comments! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear if the egg-free version works. I did update the recipe with a note about using a tad more coconut oil if you like super moist. 😉

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  8. Felicia says

    Hi Shirley,

    These look divine and I have a couple of jars left from last years’ batch of pumpkin butter – I will be baking tomorrow! Thank you for such a great post! Enjoy the wonderful fall weather~

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Felicia–Sounds like you are primed to make these bars then! 🙂 FYI–I did add a note to the recipe stating that those who like really moist bars might want to add a little more coconut oil.

      Hope you are having a lovely fall, too! I’m actually far from home today, but still enjoying some lovely fall temps. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Alisa–LOL, yes, I know … quadruple bonus points! 😉 You should make some pumpkin butter for sure. The stuff is amazing IMHO. And it’s perfect in these bars. 🙂

      Excited to be seeing you soon! xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hey Heather–OMG, you are adopting me??!! I am so excited and worried … I always worry when people adopt me. 😉 But I think you will love both of these. As I’ve been replying to everyone, if you like moist, see the note I added to the recipe about possibly adding more coconut oil.

      Thank you for adopting me, dear! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you will love everything you make. 🙂

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

  11. InTolerant Chef says

    These really do catch my fancy. I really will make these soon. What a shame it’s spring and I have to buy a pumpkin when I have so many just starting to grow in the garden. I kid you not, I pulled up over 100 self seeded ‘rouge’ pumpkin seedlings already this week!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi InTolerant Chef–Wow, 100 rogue pumpkin seedlings! Yes, those seasonal differences can throw a ringer into making recipes from here. Pumpkin butter is delightful though, either made with canned or fresh. 🙂 And I think you’ll love this recipe when you get to make it … fingers crossed. 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

  12. Maggie says

    Shirley you’ve done it AGAIN! These look like they’re right up my alley! I wish you were on your way to a party at my house 🙂 With Mr. GFE too! I might have to try an egg-free version. xo

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Maggie–You’re such a dear–thank you! Oh, I’d love to be on the way to your house for a party! Mr. GFE would enjoy it, too. 🙂 One day we’ll make it to your neck of the woods for sure.

      Will look forward to an egg-free version from you in the near future, dear! 😉

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Meg–It looks like you are new here—welcome! 🙂 While I had read about folks combining chocolate and pumpkin and I’ve made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that we love, in my first two attemtps to make bars using cocoa, the chocolate overpowered the pumpkin. But in this recipe, the chocolate chips are just the right amount to complement the pumpkin. So chocolate chips are the answer to combining chocolate and pumpkin. Hope you love it!

      I’m happy to find your blog, The Gut Gazette, too. Loved that pumpkin pie that your grandmother made for you. Sounded scrumptious and it was so cute! 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

  14. Linda says

    Shirley, these bars look great, and I love that you used almond flour and made them grain free.

    Did you know that you don’t have links for the three events you are submitting this to? I only say that because I have not kept up this month and don’t even know who is hosting Go Ahead Honey, so I wanted to click on it, but there is no link.

    Again, those bars look terrific!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hey Linda–Yes, I knew. I just wanted to get the post up and go back and find the links later. Most of them are just the announcements posts and I wasn’t entirely sure about Go Ahead Honey this month either. I just knew the theme from reading elsewhere. Plus, I was “on the run” getting ready to fly cross country for a girlfreind get together. All the links should be updated now (at least to what’s available). 🙂 Noosh of For the Love of Food! is hosting. Read more here.

      Thanks so much re: the bars! 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Melanie–Thank you, dear! 🙂 Note that I did go back and make a few extra notes in the recipe to ensure success for all, so take a look before you bake.

      Hugs,
      Shirley

      Reply

  16. Nicole @ Special Diet Creations says

    These look absolutely incredible, Shirley! I haven’t tasted them, but I’m willing to bet they were worth all of the trial and error to come up with such an amazing end result. I love that they are grain-free and sweetened with coconut sugar, too. Yum!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Nicole–It really wasn’t too tough a job. LOL All the versions were still pretty good … just not what I had in mind. These are my favorite dessert/snack bar at the moment. 🙂

      Thanks!
      Shirley

      Reply

  17. joan harrington says

    These look awesome! Unfortunately I will not be able to make the pumpkin butter for the recipe at this time. Do you think I could add sugar and spices to canned pumpkin to make it work?

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Joan–Thank you! I expected someone to ask the question on pumpkin puree vs pumpkin butter. I am *guessing* that if you use pumpkin puree, additional spices, and additional sugar, that this recipe will work but become more cake like because you won’t have the pumpkin butter density. But give it a try and let us know!

      Shirley

      Reply

  19. Ricki says

    Two of the worlds most delicious foods–together! As they should be, ha ha! I absolutely adore the combination of pumpkin and chocolate. And this paleo version sounds just great. I’m glad you persisted and came up with the perfect bar!

    Reply

  20. Kim (Cook IT Allergy Free) says

    Oh my, Shirley! This combination could not be any more perfect! I wish you could be delivering me some on a plate right now!! I am thinking that these need to be made TODAY! 😉 The third try was definitely the trick for these!
    xo
    k

    Reply

  22. Shannon says

    You better believe I’ll be making these! I was just thinking earlier today “I wonder what chocolate and pumpkin would be like together…” This looks like a great way to find out! 😉

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Shannon–I didn’t have any luck with my pumpkin butter and cocoa combinations, but when I combined the pumpkin butter with chocolate chips (and the other ingredients, of course), I struck gold. 😉 Hope you like this one! 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

  23. Deanna says

    Oh man. Those look so freakin’ good. Mmmm…… The kiddo loves pumpkin, and has been asking me to bake something new. Hm…may have a project for this afternoon.

    I bet they would work with apple butter, too.

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Thanks, Deanna! I consider “freakin’ good” a high compliment. 😉 I hope you and the kiddo enjoy these if you get to make them. And I believe this recipe would indeed be great with apple butter vs pumpkin butter. In fact, the gals and I couldn’t find pumpkin butter at the natural food store this weekend, so we picked up some apple butter to try that alternative. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to make all the goodies that we wanted!

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Sea–Thanks! They are scrumptious. 🙂 If I had some pumpkin butter made, I’d make these today so I could have some for my flight to Dallas. 😉 And I never turn down gf pumpkin goodness, but pumpkin is more available this time of year.

      Shirley

      Reply

  26. Naomi says

    Shirley, those look absolutely delicious! Like a pumpkin brownie. Love all the healthy ingredients you used too – who says Halloween can’t be healthy?

    x x x

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Naomi–So good to see you here. 🙂 A pumpkin brownie is exactly what I was going for! It just took a few tries to get it right. 😉

      Hugs,
      Shirley

      Reply

  27. Julie Romeis says

    My kids and I made these together. They were skeptical, but WOW! I can’t believe how wonderful the texture is! We miss our old Pumpkin Muffins from back in our gluten days (I even entered them in the state fair one year) and have been looking for something to give us that satisfaction in a grain free way. This goes above and beyond everything else we’ve tried so far. Thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Julie–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 I’m absolutely thrilled that you and your family loved this recipe so much! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful comment. I hope you find many more super pleasing grain-free recipes on gfe. 😉 Off to share your comment on Facebook so that others will be reminded of this recipe. Readers tend to forgot about pumpkin during the summer, but I love it year round. Oh, and I’ve also made subbed cooked, mashed sweet potato for the pumpkin in this recipe and it’s just as yummy!

      Shirley

      Reply

    • Shirley Braden says

      Hi Erna–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Honestly, I’ve only made this recipe with my homemade pumpkin butter. Other readers have asked about using pumpkin puree, but although that *might” work in this recipe, it would yield different results, not these thick rick bars. It sounds like your best option would be purchasing a small jar of ready-made pumpkin butter, or even apple butter, to make this recipe. Good luck, and please report back to tell us what you try and how it works out!

      Shirley

      Reply

  30. April J Harris says

    Your Pumpkin Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Bars look delicious, Shirley. I love how allergy friendly they are and they are perfect for fall! Pinned and will tweet. Thank you for sharing them with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.

    Reply

    • Shirley Braden says

      Thanks for all your sharing as always, April! I happen to have some homemade pumpkin butter ready so I’ll be making these again soon. These bars surprise me anew each time I make them. So full of deliciousness!

      Shirley

      Reply

  31. Erna says

    I was wondering if I could use either brown sugar or regular sugar as I have no coconut sugar and
    no place close by to purchase it. Love the receipe and excited to try it. Thanks for information

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to Recipe