I am in the mood for pumpkin...gluten free pumpkin seven-layer bars, to be exact 🙂 Have you ever made magic bars? This easy pumpkin magic bar recipe is a wonderful variation for fall.
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When I was young, magic bars were a special treat for me. If there was a bake sale, a seven-layer bar was the first thing I would buy. I think it was the gooey coconut layer that was my favorite. I would pick the coconut strands out and eat them one by one with other toppings stuck on them.
Today I want to switch things up and make a magic bars recipe that reminds me of fall. Fall is my favorite time of year, and pumpkin flavors are at the top of my list! If you aren't into pumpkin, I have many different gluten free 7 layer bars recipes you can try:
Creamy, chocolaty, with a graham cracker crust...you will want to repeatedly make this pumpkin magic bars recipe! If you love pumpkin recipes as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my delicious Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes on the blog!
Why this recipe is special:
These bars are a creative twist on a classic dessert. I include lots of ways to vary these gluten free pumpkin magic bars. You will love how easy these bars are to make...they are like a burst of fall flavors in every bite! You can enjoy this dessert in about 35 minutes.
You may also love these Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Bars!
What you need to make this:
- gluten free graham crackers - I like Pamela's Honeygrams because they crumble well, but any brand should work.
- gluten free gingersnaps - I like Mi-Del brand but make sure the bag you get says gluten free because they also make a non-gluten-free version, and the packaging is very similar.
- almond flour - you can also use almond meal. This gives the recipe a little protein to balance out all of the sugars.
- butter - if you are dairy-free, you can use vegan butter
- coconut sugar - this helps keep the sugar rush low. You can also use brown sugar.
- pumpkin puree - do not use pumpkin pie filling
- unsweetened shredded coconut - I do not advise sweetened as this recipe is too sweet with this.
- cinnamon and nutmeg
- chocolate chips - if you are dairy-free, use Enjoy Life brand
- nuts - I like pecans, but walnuts also work well.
- condensed milk - if you are dairy-free, use coconut condensed milk.
Recipe step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: Put the crackers, almond meal, and butter into a food processor and grind.
If you don't have a food processor, put the crackers into a large zipper bag. Use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Add them to a bowl with the almond flour and melted butter and mix.
Step 2: Press the crust mixture into a greased 8x8 baking pan. It all sticks together with butter or vegan butter if you want these gluten free bars to be dairy-free too.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the canned pumpkin, coconut sugar, and spices. Mix well.
Step 4: Add the gooey pumpkin and coconut sugar layer over the crust. Just wait until you taste the flavor that this adds to these amazing 7 layer bars.
Step 5: My favorite coconut layer is next :-). I use unsweetened shredded coconut. I highly advise doing the same as these bars are very sweet and don't need the extra sugar.
Step 6: Spread the condensed milk over the coconut layer.
Step 7: Add the final layers of chocolate chips and nuts. Here are some fun substitutions to customize this recipe:
- Use pecans or slivered almonds instead of walnuts
- Use white chocolate chips or the new salted caramel chips by Hershey's. Butterscotch chips are also pretty tasty in the fall pumpkin flavors!
- As I mentioned above, you can use coconut condensed milk if you avoid dairy.
Step 9: Bake these pumpkin seven-layer bars for 25 minutes at 350º F. Please note that these bars are very hot, and it is important to let them cool before cutting or handling.
More delicious 7 layer bars recipes:
- These Gluten Free Gingerbread 7 Layer Bars are full of gingerbread flavor and are perfect for Christmas.
- Peppermint is good all year long and these Gluten Free Peppermint 7 Layer Bars are so worth it.
- If you love gooey caramel, these Gluten Free Caramel 7 Layer Bars should be made soon!
Common questions:
You can easily make this dessert dairy-free by substituting vegan butter for regular butter. You will also need to use coconut-based condensed milk.
These gluten free pumpkin 7 layer bars do freeze well! I often freeze these bars to have a sweet pumpkin treat anytime :-).
These bars will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store in an air-tight container.
You can see the typical layers of a 7 layer bar in this close-up shot, plus the added pumpkin!
(*Please note, these magic bars are gooey, which is okay. Once they cool to room temperature, you can cut them. Definitely make sure you put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting.)
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Pumpkin 7 Layer Bars
Ingredients
- 6 Schar Cookie Honeygrams should be ½ cup total
- 10 gluten free ginger snaps should be ½ cup total
- 1 cup almond flour *see note
- 5 tablespoons butter *see note
- ½ cup coconut sugar *see note
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin *see note
- 8 ounces condensed milk *see note
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F degrees.
- Put cookies in a zip top bag. Let the air out and seal the top.
- Take a rolling pin and crush the cookies into crumbs.
- Pour crumbs into a small bowl.
- Add almond flour.
- Mix well.
- In a microwave safe dish, melt butter in the microwave.
- Remove from the microwave and pour into crumbs.
- Mix well.
- Spray a 9x9 pan with coconut oil.
- Pour in crust and press to flatten.
- In a small bowl, add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut sugar.
- Pour this on top of the crust.
- Next, sprinkle on the shredded coconut.
- Pour the condensed milk on top to coat the coconut.
- Lastly, sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Notes
- If you can't find almond flour, you can use almond meal.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute vegan butter for the regular butter.
- I use coconut sugar because it is lower glycemic. You can also use brown sugar.
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling
- If you are dairy-free, use coconut condensed milk.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Want more pumpkin?? Try these Gluten Free Pumpkin Donuts!
Pam Y.
I made these with chopped pecans, brown sugar and dried cranberries. After baking for 25 minutes they didn’t look done. I baked for an additional 8 minutes. I refrigerated them for 3 hours and cut one piece. The condensed milk still hadn’t set. I decided to let the bars come up to room temperature & baked them for another 20 minutes. Once again I refrigerated them for several hours. They sliced well and were firm. The flavors were tasty but I found them too sweet. If I make these again I’ll add less sugar.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Pam, thank you for the feedback. What size pan did you use? I am wondering if yours was deeper and this is why it took more time for yours to bake through.