[Paleo] Pumpkin Bread Bars
Paleo Update: In my Bacon Wrapped Honey Mustard Chicken post, I forgot to talk about mustard! So today’s Paleo Update will be in regards to mustard and other condiments. Neither this post nor I are sponsored in any way by any of the products or links mentioned.
- Pre-Paleo I’ve always loved sauces (ketchup, soy sauce, steak sauce, BBQ sauce, and on and on…) but since going Paleo on January 1st, I’ve cut all of those store-bought sauces out of my diet. That is, until Jon was looking at the ingredients of an unopened bottle of Cleveland’s stadium mustard. Come to find out, the ingredients are super simple and Paleo-friendly! There may have been a squeal and/or a jump of joy upon hearing this. (If you’re not familiar with stadium mustard as it’s an “Ohio thing,” I highly recommend ordering some online. It’s a delicious and addictive brown mustard with mild spice.)
- With our discovery of a Paleo-friendly mustard, it got me thinking about homemade condiments and sauces. Well, after a little internet browsing, I found some great resources. For example, Paleo Diet Lifestyle has a whole gallery of condiment recipes like ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. I even found a a recipe for homemade Paleo Sriracha for you heat lovers like Jon! Coincidentally enough, one of the Paleo bloggers I follow, Megan at Food and Fitness recently posted her homemade BBQ sauce and it sounds delicious!
- So my point is, there are TONS of condiment and sauce recipes that are Paleo-friendly and I plan to try many of them in the near future. Even if you’re not living a Paleo-inspired lifestyle, homemade condiments may still be worth looking into – you can drastically decrease sodium and alter ingredients to your exact taste preferences!
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This past week I may have gone on a little bit of a Paleo baking spree – banana bread, banana pumpkin muffins, and these pumpkin bars.
Although it may not be the traditional pumpkin season, I think pumpkin flavored goodies last throughout all of winter. These would be fantastic with a hot cup of coffee when it’s chilly out. Just a heads up, these bars have a texture similar to a bread and they’re not super sweet. I originally thought these would make a nice dessert but they’re more muffin-like than cake-like.
Have I mentioned that they’re bursting with a bright pumpkin flavor yet? No? Well, they are. 🙂 They’re also super quick to prepare. Get this – I made the batter in a blender! That’s right; no need to get your mixer out!
[Paleo] Pumpkin Bread Bars
Inspired by The Paleo Secret
Makes 10-12 bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves (omit or substitute 1/2 teaspoon of all-spice if you don’t have it)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
What to Do
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F) and lightly grease an 8″ x 8″ pan.
Tip: Surprisingly, I don’t have an 8″ x 8″ pan so I used a shallow 2-quart piece of Corningware.
2. Add the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, eggs, and honey to your blender and blend for 20-30 seconds. Scrape down the sides if necessary.
Tip: Remember, you can melt your coconut by placing the jar in a bowl of hot tap water.
3. Next, add the almond flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda and blend for another 20-30 seconds. Once again, scraping down the sides if needed.
4. Pour the batter into your greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Optional: Sprinkle with shredded coconut.
6. Cut into bars and enjoy!
You May Also Like:
- [Paleo] Pancakes with Blackberry Compote
- [Paleo] Coconut Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Beautiful Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Oh those sound good!! I am running low on baking supplies UGH!! And I wasted a ton on a batch of bread that I just disregarded the whole “mix wet” “mix dry” “combine” motto and the bread is less than stellar, ugh. I will eat it though because it would be a waste! Bookmarking this recipe for sure!
Ahhh, i feel your pain of wasting baking supplies – especially because they’re fairly expensive! This past weekend I attempted sweet potato gnocchi made with almond flour and it was a failure. 😦 I don’t think I added enough almond flour to make a dough.
Luckily, with these pumpkin bars you can pretty much add all of the ingredients to a blender and you’re good to go! Let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Absolutely mmmmmmm
My thoughts exactly. 😉
These sound really good. 🙂 So glad everything is going well with your paleo diet!
Kenley
Thanks, Kenley! It’s always nice to have a little treat on hand during a diet!
I was afraid to read this, Leah, but I am truly impressed! These look good.
Thanks, Tonette. No need to be afraid! I would never lead you astray. 🙂
I love pumpkin! I have enjoyed reading your Paleo journey–I know others doing this same diet so it is interesting to read the recipes and hear your thoughts on it.
Thanks, Julia! Jon is a huge fan of pumpkin flavored things so this one was for him and all the other pumpkin lovers out there, like yourself!
I’m glad you’re enjoying my Paleo updates! I’ve still got a few more for you. 😉
It’s always time for pumpkin! I love that this is a paleo recipe and it looks fantastic. I have all the ingredients except for the coconut oil. I know what I’m buying this weekend so that I can make these myself.
Haha, it seems like most pumpkin fans are die hard pumpkin fans! I’m really excited to hear that you’re going to try these. Just remember, they’re more like a bread than like a thick gooey bar! Don’t forget to let me know how they turn out!
Speaking of coconut oil, I think I’m going to be doing a giveaway within the next month for a free jar so keep your eyes peeled! 🙂
Those look so delicious Leah!! I love baking with pumpkin!!
Thanks, Brandi! I’m honestly not a huge pumpkin fan (Jon is) but I still really enjoyed these!
These look awesome! Congrats on staying Paleo strong – I may have to try out some of your recipes (:
Thanks, Natalie! I saw your recent post on banana bread (yum!). I have a recipe for Paleo banana bread that I hope to share on Monday. It’s crazy, no wheat flour and no refined sugar!
Please let me know if you try any of these recipes. I’d love to hear your feedback. 🙂
I definitely will let you know if I try one of your Paleo recipes!
I have a weak spot for condiments as well, esp ketchup (I used to eat it by the spoonfuls), sriracha (hello Jon!), and honey mustard. I should try to make them at home! These pumpkin bars sound awesome! I have all the ingredients at home except for almond flour and coconut flakes. I think I’m going to substitute it with chickpea flour, what do you think? I’m going to make this today when I get back from work! Thanks, Leah!
I’m glad someone else loves condiments as much as I do. I know what you mean – When I used to have a burger and fries, the amount of ketchup I would eat is insane!
I’ve never worked with chickpea flour before so I can’t really say. As for the coconut flakes, they’re completely optional so if you don’t have them on hand, no worries (I didn’t add them). I’m excited for you to give this recipe a try – Please come back and let me know how they turn out, especially with the chickpea flour! Good luck, Min!
These look so good! I’d just need to buy the pumpkin and then I’d be ready to bake. I’m not Paleo but I do need to eat gluten free for the most part, so I love baking with almond flour. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’ve definitely done a bunch of almond flour and coconut flour baking since starting Paleo earlier this month. I’ve never used either prior to this challenge! It’s been fun learning new recipes with them. Let me know if you grab some pumpkin and make these bread bars – I’d love to hear your thoughts. 🙂
oh yum! I’m still on a pumpkin kick too even after the holidays. It’s just so good!
Yes, I’m convinced pumpkin lovers go from fall to spring with their pumpkin flavored goodies! 😉
Yum!!! I love how you take your pictures!!
Thank you so much! Photography is definitely my weakest skill as far as maintaining a blog. I’m really trying to get better at it!
I love that there’s no butter or refined sugar in this!!! I’m loving new sweet treat recipes that are just a bit healthier! Thanks for sharing – ill be making these next time I’m craving pumpkin!
Sarah
Thanks, Sarah. Paleo has really opened my news to using new and healthier ingredients. Today I made caramel from medjool dates… Seriously, tastes JUST like caramel and it blew my mind. I’ll be posting the recipe soon!
Can’t wait! That sounds AMAZING!
Oh Leah, these are divine! I love pumpkin and these are scrumptious. You are doing so well with the paleo 🙂
Thank you, Judy! It’s definitely been an eye opening experience. I’ve had a lot of fun using new ingredients and really thinking about what I’m cooking/eating.