Vegan Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars {no-bake}

No-bake vegan pumpkin pie bars, made in a muffin tin for perfect portioning and no cutting! They are oil-free, gluten-free, and have 10.5 grams of protein and a mere 144 calories each.

My running partner, Wendy, asked me the other week what kinds of recipes I make with pumpkin. We had been chatting about our Thanksgiving plans, which, of course, led to food, and recipes, and eating. It makes long, weekend runs feel so much shorter when you can talk food with a friend on the last few (hardest!) miles.

I mentioned a handful of dishes that I’ve been loving of late, but the more truthful answer is this: everything.

I was a little embarrassed to confess just how much pumpkin I eat. Year round. It’s a lot. When there was a pumpkin shortage several years ago (my version of Halloween terror), I hoarded cans whenever I came upon a supermarket stash. I stir it into yogurt, soups, smoothies, breads, cookies, stews, cakes, puddings, oatmeal…like I said, everything. It’s hard to explain when you’re feeling winded on mile 12.

I wish Wendy had posed the question this week, because I could offer a simple, yet still truthful, response.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars.

These are, by far, my favorite new pumpkin obsession, and with good reason: the are spicy, creamy, faintly sweet with maple syrup, packed with protein, filling, energizing, and all around perfect for satisfying your pumpkin pie longings, any time of the day or night.

Recipe Benefits of Vegan Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• No-bake
• High protein (10.5 grams per bar)
• Only 144 calories each
• Quick and easy to make

Ingredients for the Bars

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Making these healthy treats requires no more than 10 minutes and a few basic ingredients:

• rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
• coconut flour
• pumpkin pie spice
• vegan (plant-based) protein powder
• unsweetened canned pumpkin puree
• almond butter (or preferred nut or seed butter)
• maple syrup (or agave nectar, molasses, or brown rice syrup)
• vanilla extract
• Optional: raw (turbinado) sugar, for sprinkling on top

The plant-baked protein powder more than pays for itself after you make two or three batches of bars (compared to the cost of ready-made vegan protein bars).

How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

• Grease or spray 5 cups of a standard size muffin tin.
• In a food processor, process the oats into a fine powder. Add the protein powder, coconut flour, spice and salt; pulse to combine.
• Add the pumpkin, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla; pulse until completely blended, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.
• Divide dough into 5 equal portions; roll each into a ball. Press 1 ball into each prepared cup, tamping down with a measuring cup to flatten.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set. If desired, sprinkle tops with some raw sugar, if desired.

Happy pumpkin eating, everyone!

Related Recipes

• Vegan Chickpea Flour Pumpkin Cookies (oil-free)
• Coconut Flour Pumpkin Pie Bars {Vegan, Grain-Free, Oil-Free}
• No-Roll Chickpea Flour Pie Crust {grain-free, gluten-free}
• Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies {Vegan, Grain-Free, Oil-Free}
• Vegan Coconut Flour Pumpkin Cookies {Nut-Free, Grain-Free}