These soft and fluffy pumpkin bars (with white beans and a healthy twist) became an instant favorite in our home. I originally created this recipe for a local school that tends to have a lot of great northern beans on hand, and now I may add beans to every baked good out there! They are incredibly fluffy, tender, and flavorful.
These bars stand beautifully on their own, but if you want to turn them into a really decadent treat, top them with an orange mascarpone frosting or try my dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting. The pumpkin spice adds warmth with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Without frosting, these bars are dairy-free, and you can make them gluten-free by using oat flour, though spelt or whole wheat flour work wonderfully as well.
Step by Step Instructions for Soft and Fluffy Pumpkin Bars (with White Beans and a Healthy Twist)
Gather all ingredients: Oat flour, white beans, pumpkin puree, extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, eggs.
Combine all wet ingredients in a blender.....
...puree until smooth
In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients ...
...and whisk until smooth. Stir in any optional add-ins (such as chocolate chips) if using.
Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan...
...and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
Let the bars cool in the pan. Once cool, top with orange mascarpone frosting and a light dusting of cinnamon, if desired.
Soft and Fluffy Pumpkin Bars (with White Beans and a Healthy Twist)
Soft, fluffy pumpkin bars made with white beans and wholesome ingredients. Naturally sweetened and full of cozy fall flavor - with gluten-free and dairy-free options that make them a feel-good treat everyone will love.
12
servings10
minutes25
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup cooked or canned white beans (such as great northern or navy), rinsed and drained
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (canned or make your own)*
1/3 cup mild extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or ½ cup coconut sugar + 2 Tbsp water)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
- Dry Ingredients
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp gluten-free oat flour (or whole wheat or spelt flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice (or 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg)
- Optional add-ins
chocolate chips
- Optional Topping
1/2 batch orange mascarpone frosting or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting
cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and position a rack in the center. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Stir in any optional add-ins if using.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Let the bars cool in the pan. If desired, top with orange mascarpone frosting or dairy-free mascarpone-style frosting and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Notes
- *You can make your own pumpkin puree by roasting pumpkin halves (ideally a small pie pumpkin) at 400°F for about 40 minutes, or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Let the pumpkin cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- A note about doubling: These pumpkin bars are best made as written. Simply doubling the recipe will result in a less fluffy texture.
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