Dark chocolate gingerbread spice pumpkin bars. This sweet and spicy treat is easy to make and even easier to eat. Gluten-free and grain free, too!
Gingerbread meets dark chocolate in this flourless recipe for Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Spice Pumpkin Bars. Gluten Free. Grain Free.
When it's that time of year to bring out all the spicy and warming baked goods, you want this recipe for dark chocolate gingerbread spice pumpkin bars. But this is also the ideal dessert and snack for those times when you can't decide among chocolate, gingerbread, or pumpkin. Or a spice cake in general. These bars right here? They're the ones you want in your repertoire.
Plus, they're flourless!
One thing we love around here is dessert. Especially healthy desserts. We focus so much energy on eating healthy, clean meals all week that sometimes we forget a little dessert is good for the soul. Have you seen our triple chocolate vegan brownie cake? It's magical!
But this "dessert" here is made with super healthy ingredients, so can we go out on a limb and say these might even work for breakfast? Yeah, we thought so. Eat them with a little bit of plain Greek yogurt on the side for a boost of protein.
Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Spice Pumpkin Bars Ingredients
- 1 cup Gingerbread Spice Almond Butter
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoon (or more) dark chocolate chips
- More cinnamon/spices, optional
How to Make Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Spice Pumpkin Bars
These come together easily! Hooray! You literally mix everything together in a bowl and then transfer to a baking pan. Add more chips on top (because, why not?) And voila! Bake them for a bit, and let them cool. Then, once they are cool enough to handle, slice them into sizes that fit your macros and you've got a great snack or dessert that's not too sweet, but also just sweet enough.
How to Store and Serve Pumpkin Bars
These keep best in an airtight covered container at room temperature for several days. You can also slice them, wrap them, and freeze them individually for easy snacking or dessert-related emergencies. They'll defrost in the microwave really quickly or in the fridge overnight. You can also pop them in a 350 F oven, loosely wrapped in foil, for about 15 minutes, until they're warm all the way through.
Substitutions and Alterations
If you aren't a big fan of gingerbread and want something more straightforward for these pumpkin bars, you can easily leave out the spices and just use almond butter or any nut/seed butter. Peanut butter would be awesome here, because chocolate and peanut butter are always a good idea.
You can add more chocolate chips or leave them out. Cacao nibs would work too, but wouldn't be as sweet. White chocolate chips are good here, as are nuts (pecans or walnuts especially), seeds, or dried fruit such as dried cranberries. The possibilities are endless.
If you don't have the Gingerbread Spice Almond Butter on hand, since it's a pretty specific product, it's ok. You can always add a combination of the following spices to the almond butter in this recipe. Try a teaspoon of the following: cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, and about half a teaspoon of nutmeg and/or ground cloves.
Tips for Pumpkin Bars
And, as always, divide the bars into a size that fits your macros. These bars are not overly sweet, but they sure do satisfy the craving. Plus, they are healthy and loaded with fiber!
READ MORE! Feeling Lazy? Try No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. Or make these Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup gingerbread spice almond butter *see notes below for alternatives
- ½ cup canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a 5x7-inch loaf pan (or 8x8 baking pan) with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together except the chocolate chips. Once everything is evenly incorporated, gently fold in 4 tablespoon chocolate chips.
- Pour into your baking pan and top with the remaining chips. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a couple of crumbs.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, carefully remove them (using the parchment) and allow to fully cool before slicing to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
