Fudgy Almond Butter Pumpkin Bars

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Moist pumpkin bars with a fudgy baked-in layer of almond butter and chocolate chips. The result is a delicious, decadent fudgy pumpkin bar…Kinda like a pumpkin bar brownie! I find that these reallyyy hit the spot whenever I’m craving something sweet 🙂

This recipe came by way of a random experiment gone right… 🙂

I wanted to try turning my delicious Dairy Free Banana Bread recipe into pumpkin muffins..because I’ve totally been in the mood for baking all the fall things like apple turnovers, pumpkin tiramisu, black eyed pea and veggie soup (just check out my Fall Recipes Collection!)

Anyways, after baking 12 pumpkin muffins (which were incredible, by the way), I had a little batter left over. So I poured it into a loaf pan and topped it with chocolate chips and almond butter.

As soon as I drizzled on the almond butter, I regretted it. But I put it in the oven anyway and said to myself “this is probably gonna be a flop”.

To my surprise, the pumpkin bars I pulled out of the oven 25 minutes later were incredibly fudgy and decadent!

I knew immediately that I wanted to share this recipe with you guys!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe!

DECADENT and SATISFYING – 50% whole wheat, not overly sweet, and topped with a healthy fat: almond butter! The healthy fat from the almond butter layer provides a decadence that is so delicious and super satisfying…it’s almost like a fudgy cakey brownie!

Short baking time– since these pumpkin bars aren’t super thick, they only need to bake for 20-25 minutes.

Versatile – Enjoy these with breakfast, as a snack, or for dessert!

Tips

Don’t overmix – when making quick bread batters, it is important that you don’t overmix. This will result in a tough pumpkin bar. When mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, use a RUBBER SPATULA and a folding technique. Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.

Almond Butter – Use an all-natural almond butter that has the oil separation. Before using it in this recipe, stir the oil back into the almond butter so that it is smooth and a little runny. This is the best texture for creating the fudgy topping.

For extra fudginess, you can underbake these pumpkin bars by just a few minutes.

Get creative! – Once you’ve drizzled the almond butter on the pumpkin bar batter, drag a toothpick or tip of a butterknife through it to swirl it into the batter. You can get creative here and do whatever design you want!

Ingredients

• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice blend
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4c. + 2 tbsp. full fat coconut milk

Topping:

• 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • milk or dark would also work.
• 1/4 c. almond butter
  • For best results, use almond butter that requires the oil to be stirred back in. This way it is somewhat runny. Avoid using dry clumps of almond butter.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend Recipe

• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/4 tsp. Allspice
• 1/4 tsp. Ground cardamom 

Mix the spices together and keep in a sealed jar or container for all your fall baking!

Ways to Enjoy Fudgy Almond Butter Pumpkin Bars

The great part about these pumpkin bars is that you can enjoy them at breakfast, as a snack, or as a sweet treat.

For breakfast or a snack, pair with a protein (hardboiled egg, meat stick, etc.) for a good carb, protein, fat balance. It’ll help your body metabolize those carbs better so you feel energized and not sluggish.

For dessert, warm up these fudgy almond butter pumpkin bars and top with whipped cream or ice cream! Or you can do what Sam and I do…enjoy them COLD!

How to Make Fudgy Almond Butter Pumpkin Bars

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and fold together with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients have been moistened. Do NOT overmix! You don’t want tough pumpkin bars.

Pour the batter into your greased 9×13 baking dish. Then sprinkle the 1/4 c. of chocolate chips evenly on top (you can add a little more if you want!)

Give your almond butter a good stir to mix the oil back in, then drizzle about 1/4 c. onto the pumpkin bar batter. I like to drizzle it in a vertical motion across the batter.

Then, use a toothpick or butterknife to swirl the almond butter into the batter just a little bit. You can even get creative with a design here!

Bake the pumpkin bars for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Avoid overbaking. You would rather these pumpkin bars be a little underbaked than overbaked to maintain the fudginess.

Let cool for a bit then slice into bars. Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh!

Enjoy 🙂

Want More Easy and Delicious Baked Goods?

• Dairy free Banana Bread
• Healthy Blueberry Muffins with Whipped Lemon Honey Butter
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Homestyle Apple Turnovers
• Morning Glory Snack Bites (Oil and Refined Sugar Free)

Shop this Post

• rubber spatula
• 9×13 baking pan

Hey! I’m so glad you’re here. I’d appreciate it if you give this recipe 5 stars and a helpful review if you try this recipe and love it.

Wherever you find yourself today…take time to nourish yourself — body, mind, and soul <3

Warmly, Caroline