Healthy Pumpkin Bars
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Published Oct 31, 2022, Updated Sep 12, 2023
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These healthy pumpkin bars are made with whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, applesauce and studded with chocolate chips. They have less oil than traditional pumpkin bars and can easily be made vegan.
If you only make one pumpkin-flavored thing this fall, these healthy pumpkin bars should definitely be it. They’re like my go-to pumpkin bread, but in bar form. They have the perfect amount of spice and the dark chocolate chips add a rich sweetness to each bite. Plus, you can never go wrong with the combo of pumpkin + chocolate, am I right?!
Seriously, they are so good! I literally couldn’t keep my hands off them and ate one with every meal when I first tested them, including breakfast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pumpkin is not only high in fiber and vitamins, but it also helps to keep these bars moist!
- The recipe only calls for 1 Tablespoon of oil. The pumpkin, applesauce and yogurt replace the rest of the fat.
- Can easily be made gluten-free + vegan!
- The combo of pumpkin, fall spices + dark chocolate = chef’s kiss!
Ingredients Needed
- whole wheat pastry flour – a whole grain, nutrient-dense flour that results in a light and fluffy cake. My go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. Cake flour and all-purpose flour will also work. You can also do a 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose if you’d like! And if you need this recipe to be gluten-free, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- pumpkin pie spice – a must for this recipe! Pumpkin pie spice is a blend that usually consists of ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sometimes allspice. You can make your own pumpkin pie spice at home or use a store-bought blend.
- coconut sugar – I love using coconut sugar because it’s a natural sugar with a bit more nutrition but brown sugar or regular white sugar will work as well.
- pumpkin puree – you can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. If using store-bought, just make sure the ingredient list is only “pumpkin” – you don’t want to accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars.
- unsweetened applesauce – I like using unsweetened applesauce to keep baked goods moist without using a ton of oil. You can make your own applesauce or use store-bought, just be sure to grab unsweetened to avoid added sugars!
- Greek yogurt – this really amps up the protein and helps to keep these bars moist. I like Fage 5% Greek yogurt or Stonyfield whole milk Greek yogurt. If you need these bars to be dairy-free, use vegan yogurt! My favorite dairy-free option is the Culina coconut yogurt.
- coconut oil – we’re only using 1 Tablespoon of oil for this entire recipe. This adds healthy fat and helps bind the bars together.
- eggs – helps bind the ingredients together and provides structure for these bars. If you need these bars to be vegan you can replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs.
- vanilla extract – a much-needed flavor enhancer.
- baking soda – to help the bars rise.
- sea salt – to bring all the flavors together.
- dark chocolate chips – I like using Lily’s chocolate chips because they’re sugar-free and low-calorie, but I also like Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips which are allergen-friendly. That said, feel free to use your favorite chocolate chip brand.
Why Use Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?
Whole wheat pastry flour is ground more finely than regular whole wheat flour so it makes lighter baked goods. It is also packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals and is really easy to bake with. If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour at your local grocery store you can simply use all-purpose flour or a blend of 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
Combine dry ingredients: Start by mixing your dry ingredients together: whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
Whisk wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, mix your wet ingredients: applesauce, yogurt, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla and coconut sugar. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree.
Combine dry + wet ingredients: Slowly add the flour mix to the wet ingredients and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake: Pour batter into a greased baking dish or one that’s lined with parchment paper. Top with additional chocolate chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve: Let the bars cool completely at room temperature (patience is key!) – then cut and enjoy!
How to Serve Pumpkin Bars
If you feel like getting fancy here are some ideas on how to serve these pumpkin bars:
- Coconut whip – a scoop of coconut whip cream would be so delicious on top of these pumpkin bars.
- Nut butter – a drizzle of your favorite nut butter would not only taste great but add some extra protein to these bars. You can’t go wrong with almond butter, especially if it’s homemade. Other great options are cashew butter, peanut butter or tahini. This pumpkin almond butter would also be delicious!
- Pumpkin butter – there’s no such thing as too much pumpkin in my opinion so if you want to add some extra pumpkin flavor to these bars they’d be delicious with a drizzle of this pumpkin butter + dash of pumpkin pie spice.
- Ice Cream – you really can’t go wrong with adding a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top of your freshly made, warm pumpkin bar. Vanilla would be my first choice, but for some dairy-free options this banana ice cream or chocolate banana ice cream would be tasty!
- Frosting – skip the chocolate chips on top and instead add a layer of frosting to these bars once they’ve cooled completely. This cream cheese frosting would be delicious! Pumpkin + cream cheese = a match made in heaven!
How to Store Pumpkin Bars
These pumpkin bars will stay fresh at room temperature for about 2 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. For longer storage, you can freeze them. Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for about 1 hour at room temperature.
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Easy Pumpkin Granola
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl
- Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Rice
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake
Be sure to check out all of the pumpkin recipes as well as the full collection of dessert recipes on EBF!
Healthy Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, I used full-fat 5% yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs, or 2 flaxseed eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup canned pumpkin , or homemade pumpkin puree
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together coconut sugar, applesauce, yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Stir in pumpkin puree.
- Slowly pour flour mix into the wet ingredients and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour dough evenly into the greased pan and top with additional chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the middle of the bars.
- Cool completely, cut in 15 bars and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, what could you use to substitute the apple sauce? I just don’t have any. Thanks! Love your recipes and blog!!!
Hi Susie, You could use mashed bananas or an additional 1/4 cup of yogurt or coconut oil to replace the applesauce. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
A great recipe for potlucks – made this tonight and it was a winner all-around! Didn’t have pastry flour so did have to sub with 2/3 all purpose with 1/3 cake.
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me! <3
Hi 👋🏻 this is a wonderful recipe that also worked for me as mini muffins which I baked at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and they rose beautifully!! I also made the following modifications: used whole wheat flour (didn’t have pastry flour), used 2 whole eggs, not just egg whites (no idea what to do with leftover egg yolks, lol), added 1 teaspoon cinnamon (love!!) and 1 mashed ripe banana. Delicious and beautiful! Hope my toddler likes them so I can take to her school’s Thanksgiving luncheon! THANKS for all your amazing recipe, Brittany! 🙂 Blessings to you and your family!!
Hi Susie, I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked as muffins! I really appreciate you coming back to leave a comment and star rating, it means the world to me. <3
God made the egg with the yolk. Why omit it?
Hey Joelle – Egg whites are a way to lower the calories, while still keeping the protein. You can always use regular eggs instead of egg whites if you prefer. 🙂
Hi,
I love your recipes. I find I can make quite a few of them while still following Medical Medium protocols. I can make flax eggs to substitute the eggs and use a gluten free all purpose flour blend. I read in the comments that canola oil can be subbed for Greek yogurt, but that is a “no food” as well. Would olive oil or coconut oil work?
Thank you
Hey Lisa – Oh yes, that comment should have been coconut oil since canola oil isn’t in the recipe 🙂 Sorry about that! But, yes you can probably just use coconut oil to replace the yogurt. Let me know how these bars turn out if you try them!
Wow! This is so so good and easy to make. I used whole wheat flour and all purpose gluten free flour, both sifted. I also used a little extra applesauce and didn’t use the oil. I made it into a Bundt cake and I have to tell you, it’s amazing! Will be making this again and again!
Ahh I love that you turned these into a bundt cake!! So glad it turned out for you. 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me!
I loved these! I made a bunch of adjustments based on what was available in my house.
1. I used regular whole wheat flour (instead of whole wheat pastry flour)
2. I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice, so I used cinnamon and nutmeg. I used a total of 1 tablespoon (as the recipe called for), but in the future I would likely use more. It needed a little more spice, so I sprinkled cinnamon on top when it was done.
3. I only used ~1/4 of a cup of brown sugar (even less than that maybe)
4. I used sweetened applesauce that was chunky (was worried about this, but it was great!)
5. I used vanilla greek yogurt (not plain) and I used closer to 1/2 a cup
6. I didn’t have coconut oil, so I used regular canola oil
7. I used 1 whole egg (not 2 egg whites)
8. I used an entire can of pumpkin (was probably closer to 2 cups total)
9. I used a mix of white, milk, and dark chocolate chips
It turned out great despite all of these changes 🙂 I made it maybe an hour ago, and it’s 1/2 eaten! What a great recipe- thanks for posting!
Thanks for sharing your adjustments, Emily!! It’s super helpful. I’m glad these bars still turned out for you and you enjoyed them. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
Hi! I would love to try this, just curious if Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour 1-1 would work as well?
I haven’t tried it, but that should work just fine! Let me know how these bars turn out for you if you end up making it. 🙂
These are delicious! I made them as described with the only difference being using whole wheat flour (instead of pastry flour). I was nervous about the recipe since the last time I made a “healthy” pumpkin recipe, it was no good. However, these are so tasty and do not even need the chocolate chips. I love the perfect pumpkin flavor enough on its own. Thank you so much! Will be trying more of your recipes!
Yay!! I’m so pumped you loved these bars, Jessica. Thanks for giving this recipe a shot and for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers. <3
These are incredible!! Seriously, the most moist, flavorful pumpkin bar I’ve ever had and I love that you don’t feel (or have your mouth taste) like you just ate a ton of sugar. Just perfect! I, also, was making these to share with a GF friend and I used GF oat flour instead of whole wheat pastry flour and it worked so well! Another win from EBF!!
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Jeanne. I’m so glad you’re loving these bars. And good to know they worked well with oat flour! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers. 🙂