Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bars

These pumpkin bars are so easy to make and can be made with gluten free flour or regular all purpose flour (if you don’t have gluten sensitivities). They are dense, moist, and just delicious with their yummy cream cheese frosting. Other than having to by gluten-free flour, all the other ingredients are usually gluten free without having to buy anything special, but make sure you check the ingredients anyway, just in case.

I first tried the non-gluten free version at a pig roast about 10 years ago, a friend of my in-laws had brought them and they were so delicious that I asked her to send me the recipe. I just happened to come upon that recipe and thought I would try them in a gluten free version, since I am going to my first Thanksgiving dinner of the season and a couple of people are gluten-free. I was not sure how they would turn out with gluten-free flour but they are still as amazing as I remembered.

I have to say that this recipe is very forgiving, I am assuming because the pumpkin brings moisture to the bars/cake (seems like it can be classified as a cake to me since it’s so moist, but since the original recipe says it’s bars, I thought I’d stick with that 🙂 ). The original recipe said bake for 25 minutes but I didn’t hear my timer so it was left in there for 55 minutes before I realized I missed the timer and the bars were still amazing. I don’t know if the gluten-free flour played a roll, or the moisture from the pumpkin, but I am glad they didn’t burn or become dry. The edges were a little crunchy, which I love, so I will set the time a little longer than the original recipe (but not as long as 55 :). Just to make sure they were guest worthy, I had my daughter and husband try them too and they said they were delicious and couldn’t stop eating the extra!

You will need:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (I used King Authur Measure for Measure)
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional for garnish)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powerder, and salt).
3. Stir in eggs, oil, and pumpkin puree until well combined.
4. Add 1 cup of chopped pecans, if using (or you can use walnuts, if you prefer), and give it a good stir.
5. Pour into a greased and floured 13″ by 10″ by 1″ jelly roll pan and use an offset spatula to spread (it will be a thick batter).
6. Bake for 40 minutes (or until toothpick inserted comes out clean), remove and allow to cool completely.
7. For the frosting, cream the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until combined.
8. Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar, mix until you no longer see it, and then add they other half and mix until well combined.
9. Frost cooled cake and then sprinkle with chopped pecans, if using.

Kali Orexi!