Pumpkin Pie Bites are brownie-sized servings of vegan pumpkin pie, made with a fat-free, gluten-free crust and topped with crystalized ginger.
My daughter and I go kind of pumpkin crazy this time of year. It starts when we see the first small pie pumpkins in the grocery store and she convinces me that we just have to have one. She takes it home, decorates it with permanent markers, and then refuses to let me cook her work of art. (Since it’s now covered in toxic ink, I’m not too eager to cook with it anyway.) She then demands that we buy more pumpkins so that we’ll have something to make pies with. So I hide the markers and buy more pumpkins.
My pumpkin-buying mania extends to canned pumpkin. In October and November, I find so many ways to add pumpkin to my meals that I’m convinced that I will want to cook with it all year long, and driven by the fear that it will disappear from the stores after the winter holidays, I buy can after can. Naturally, I never get around to using it all. The pumpkin dishes that seem so appealing in the Fall lose their allure by April, when there are asparagus to play with. As a result, before I can go on my canned pumpkin frenzy and buy more this year, I needed to use up last year’s stock, so I sat down to plan out a new recipe.
While my daughter was envisioning pumpkin pie, for some reason I just kept seeing bars. Specifically, oatmeal bars. Obviously, a compromise was in order, so I designed these bites to appeal to both of our cravings. The gluten-free crust is made up mostly of oatmeal, while the filling is sweet, spicy pumpkin. Each one is like a two-bite pumpkin pie, but I doubt you’ll be able to eat just one.
Now I know that some of you are going to wonder why I didn’t use fresh pumpkin in these bars. One thing that canned pumpkin has going for it is that its moisture content is consistent. When I tell you to use 15 ounces of canned pumpkin, whether you live in Seattle or Asheville you’ll be able to cook the recipe with results that are pretty much like mine.
Working with fresh pumpkin is a little trickier; once you’ve gotten it cooked, it may be more or less watery than the pumpkin I use, and your pumpkin pie bites might need more thickener to get them to set. So while I encourage you to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, I made the recipe using canned pumpkin so that it will work for most people. If you’re using fresh pumpkin, just make sure you drain it well after it’s cooked so that its consistency is close to canned.
One more thing: I made these using sorghum flour so that they’d be gluten-free. (I don’t need to eat gluten-free, but a lot of my readers do, so I like to make it easier for them to make my recipes.) The fat-free, sorghum crust is a little dry right at first, but I found that it softened overnight, so if you can, make these bites the day before, or use a softer type of flour, such as whole wheat pastry flour.
Bonus cat photo for those of you who read this far:
This is what happens when you photograph your food in a house with a fearless and incorrigible kitten in it. While I was trying to get one final shot of the bites, our newest family member took a fancy to them. He actually managed to grab a small piece. Though he seemed to like it, I’m not recommending you share these treats with your pets!
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
Be sure to check out all of my delicious pumpkin and winter squash recipes.
Pumpkin Pie Bites
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups quick or rolled oats* divided
- 1 cup sorghum or other whole grain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup apple sauce or apple butter
- 2 tablespoons water
Filling
- 15 ounces pumpkin canned or cooked and water pressed out
- 12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu lite preferred
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar or regular sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract optional
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or other liquid sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/4 cup quick or rolled oats*
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line the bottom of a 9Ă—13-inch nonstick baking pan with parchment paper.
- Crust: Place 1/2 cup of the oats in a blender and crush them to a fine powder. Pour the oat flour into a medium mixing bowl and add the remaining oatmeal and the other dry crust ingredients. Add the apple sauce and water and stir until well-moistened. If necessary, add additional water a teaspoon at a time until all flour is moist. Pour it into the prepared pan and press it into the pan until the bottom is evenly covered.
- Filling: Place all the filling ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour filling on top of crust and smooth with a spatula.
- Topping and Baking: Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of the filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until pumpkin is set in the middle. Remove from oven and run a non-metal knife or spatula around the edges. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into 48 squares.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Elizabeth Edith
November 10, 2009 at 3:00 pmgah! These look awesome! I love it how you use "good" ingredients that I've heard of and have most of on hand, but combine them so deliciously. I can't wait to make these 🙂
love lives in the kitchen
November 10, 2009 at 3:14 pmhello susan! i love your blog and i'm very happy to meet you! your recipes are great, so much inspiration here!
see you soon!
justyna
vegannut
November 10, 2009 at 4:26 pmLove the kitty pic. Thanks for sharing the extra fun shots. Can't wait to try these.
Thanks
Mary
November 10, 2009 at 4:38 pmOh my gosh, I wish I could get a cat. That is the cutest. These bars sound delicious! I'm going to check out your other pumpkin recipes, too.
Melissa
November 10, 2009 at 5:44 pmThese are fabulous! Thank you for sharing!
pixiepine
November 11, 2009 at 2:33 pmKitty-approved pumpkin bites! Perfect!
mare
November 11, 2009 at 2:53 pmThese look sweet (as in tasty not sugary). Would rice flakes be an appropriate substitute for the oats?
Trinity (of haiku tofu)
November 11, 2009 at 9:56 pmThanks for the secret kitty pic! love it! and those pumpkin bites will surely be in my dreams tonight.
yari
November 12, 2009 at 7:13 amGreat recipe, great photos! Too bad canned pumpkin isn't sold here in Italy.
Anonymous
November 12, 2009 at 9:52 amSUSAN!! Have you been holding out on us? This is the first I've heard of a new kitten! I must have more pictures!!! I'll be on pins and needles until you post some!
-Rocket Scientist
SusanV
November 12, 2009 at 10:03 amHey, R.S., I have to apologize for not featuring him until now. The truth is, he's not really new. We adopted him in late March, and I twittered some photos of him then, but didn't write about him here. If you're interested, here's a series of photos of him on Flickr:
New Kitten Photos
Candi
November 12, 2009 at 2:26 pmI'll be making these for making the holiday rounds! They look great!
Your kitty photo is SO cute!! haha I love that he grabbed a bite!
Kristine
November 12, 2009 at 7:14 pmSusan – I can't stop drooling long enough to make these….YUMMMMM!
You've brightened my holiday menu!!
🙂
Kristine
Penina@FeedYourRoots
November 12, 2009 at 10:15 pmThis recipe looks great! I've been looking for a pumpkin recipe to try. Thanks for sharing!
Debbie
November 13, 2009 at 10:29 amThese were FANTASTIC! I used whole wheat pastry flour. I do have a couple questions. 1. Should this be stored in the refrigerator? 2. I couldn't really "pour" the crust into the pan – it just sort of plopped out. It took me a good 10 sticky mess minutes to get it spread in the pan. It was like the consistency of rice krispy treats. Can you please go into a little more detail about the crust consistency?
SusanV
November 13, 2009 at 11:08 amDebbie, "pour" was a poor word choice. "Plop and press" would be more accurate! Mine wasn't exactly the consistency of rice crispy treats and it took only a minute to press into the pan, but you're right that it doesn't pour. It could be that whole wheat flour makes a stickier dough than sorghum flour, so it might be necessary to adjust the amount a little bit. I'm sorry that it gave you so much trouble but am glad they tasted good!
The Voracious Vegan
November 13, 2009 at 1:15 pmHahaha! I go pumpkin crazy this time of year, too. Well, I'm pumpkin crazy ALL year long, but it just seems more festive during the winter months.
Thank you for this delicious recipe, I can't wait to try it for myself.
Lena
November 13, 2009 at 5:06 pmOMG…i think i might make these next weekend…if it was up to me i would be making them this weekend but ive got a big test on monday…these delicious morsels will just have to wait a week i guess…but i cant wait!! thanks for the recipe!
Lena
November 13, 2009 at 5:09 pmo and how is it that your pictures always turn out looking so amazingly professional! I feel like im opening a Home Cooking magazine! gorgeous…the cat almost looks posed!
Kevin
November 14, 2009 at 3:07 pmThose pumpkin bars look so good! Better eat them quickly before the cat gets them all.
Marisa
November 14, 2009 at 8:53 pmDid you use silken tofu as a substitute for something non-vegan, like cream cheese? As much as I admire the idea of eating a superfood like soybeans, for some reason tofu is crazy expensive here (even though IN is pretty much the soybean capital) and I am not vegan. I noticed others in the comments looking for substitutes for this as well.
Anonymous
November 14, 2009 at 11:41 pmHello Susan,
I am planning to make your pumpkin pie bites tomorrow. Do you think it would be ok to substitute agave for some or all of the sugar in the crust and filling?
SusanV
November 15, 2009 at 10:41 amMarisa, a non-vegan version of this would probably contain cream cheese and eggs, and if you do a Google search, you can probably find "pumpkin bars" or something similar that you could make or adapt. (I will refrain from commenting on the healthiness of those recipes.)
Agave: I would use a little less of it than sugar (1/3 cup agave per 1/2 cup sugar), but I think you could safely substitute it for any or all of the sugar.
I'm about to leave on vacation, so if there are any more questions, I hope some of my experienced readers will jump in and answer them. Bye!
MamaDog
November 17, 2009 at 8:32 amI can vouch for the yummy-ness!
Only thing is it was a bit on the gooey side – next time i'll add ground flax seed to thicken (and molasses for some added iron).
Also, i didn't have walnuts so used pecans and i wonder if this might even be better. It made an amazing topping.
Wohali
November 19, 2009 at 8:12 amThese are amazing, and better than pie! I brought them for healthy snack day at work. Definitely a new dish that I can share and no one's gets too leary about the ingredients.
Angiepee
November 20, 2009 at 11:20 pmThese are ok, I would double or triple the topping if I made them again, the topping makes the bar!
The Blasphemous Fiendess
November 23, 2009 at 12:48 amThose pumpkin bites look delicious and I love pumpkin! The cat photo is hilarious. I had a cat who loved pumpkin pie.
RG
November 23, 2009 at 7:17 pmIt is monday and I just made the bars. Plan to serve them on thanksgiving. Can they be frozen or should I just refrigerate?
SusanV
November 23, 2009 at 7:51 pmRG, I would refrigerate them as soon as they cool off. Place them in a covered container lined with paper towels, and they should keep until Thursday. Enjoy!
Kelly
November 23, 2009 at 10:34 pmVery tasty! I made them tonight and noticed that the crust ingredients call for 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, but the instructions say to use 1/2 cup of the oatmeal and never say to use the remainder. Where does it go? I omitted it, and our guests loved it, but I wonder if the crust was too gooey.
SusanV
November 23, 2009 at 11:03 pmKelly, I should have made it clearer that 1/2 cup of the oatmeal gets ground into flour and it's then mixed with the rest of the oatmeal and other dry ingredients. If you liked the gooier crust, then I'd say that it worked for you, but I'm surprised that you had enough crust to spread over the bottom of the pan. Using all of the oatmeal does result in a very sturdy crust.
Sarah
November 25, 2009 at 2:27 amAwww man, Kelly – I did the same thing with the crust! Gooey and hard to spread, but OMGosh these bars are awesome! Kids are taking them to school tomorrow for their Thanksgiving parties, and I am SURE they will be a huge hit! Thanks Susan! Have a happy day celebrating the lives of the turkeys!
michelle
November 25, 2009 at 11:56 amDo you press the tofu first? How long have I been vegetarian, and I've only cooked with tofu ONCE! I find it so intimidating. Is it a rule that you always press and squeeze all the water out of tofu before you use it? Haha, I feel so lame asking this.
This is my favorite foodie blog, thanks so much for all you do!
SusanV
November 25, 2009 at 12:06 pmHi Michelle–I just drain the water off the tofu, no pressing. I almost never press tofu, so unless one of my recipes specifically says to do so, you don't need to press. (This is a pretty good rule for other people's recipes, too.)
I hope you'll give cooking with tofu another try. It's really worth it!
SusanV
November 25, 2009 at 12:08 pmOh, PS–This recipe calls for silken tofu (the kind in the aseptic box, by Mori-Nu). It almost never requires pressing because it would fall apart.
HeidiTFM
November 25, 2009 at 5:56 pmAlas, I made the same error with the crust as others here did. I don't feel so badly for the screw up, since it still tastes fine. The texture is a bit too chewy, but it should firm up by tomorrow (if all goes well). Also, I had to bake about 20 extra minutes to get the center to firm. Anyone else have issues with cooking times?
I will say, the custard itself was absolutely delicious. I couldn't stop eating it before it was cooked!
Eliza
November 25, 2009 at 8:01 pmI made these the other day and they are so tasty! My kids loved them too. I'll definitely be making them again. I didn't have fresh nutmeg or crystallized ginger but they were still great.
michelle
November 25, 2009 at 9:03 pmSusan,
Thank you for the comment–it helped so much! Thank you for pointing out that it is the silken variety as well, I had purchased regular extra firm without giving it much thought!
I can't wait to get the right tofu, so I can make them!
Michelle 🙂
Stef
November 25, 2009 at 10:36 pmMade a batch of these for Thanksgiving dinner. Couldn't resist eating a few bites along with licking the bowl…
Thanks for the great inspiration, perfect for vegans and those not liking heavy dairy-laden desserts alike 🙂
tjmcols
November 26, 2009 at 9:35 pmI opted to try these for our thanksgiving brunch today – had to have pumpkin somethin right? I didn't have crystallized ginger on hand and I think it would have been nice addition. At first I thought the bites weren't sweet enough but I find myself nibbling on these all day! This the first butter free, oil free crust I ever tried and I am again impressed! I think the same crust with a layer of apple sauce and chopped apples would be to die for! I couldn't live without this website!