Layered Gluten Free Pumpkin Bars

Three layers of delightful fall flavors bring together these gluten free pumpkin bars in 45 minutes. They are the perfect blend of soft cookie cake, spiced pumpkin goodness, and smooth creamy frosting, these bars are the epitome of the perfect fall treat.

These bars are just the perfect, easy way to enjoy a cozy pumpkin fall treat. They are perfect with a cup of crock pot apple cider or at a friends-giving potluck, these pumpkin bars will get the job done. These gluten-free apple pie jars are another one of my go-to fall baking recipes that nobody ever knows are gluten free.

You can't have Thanksgiving without a pumpkin dessert. So whether you make these easy bars, our gluten free pumpkin cupcakes or this pumpkin delight recipe, you will get questions for the recipe for sure!

Why you'll love these bars

• Simple to make: These semi homemade bars only take 45 minutes to make even with the different layers. They start with a gluten free cake mix that makes an almost cookie base that is perfect for the crust. I thought about doing a true cookie base but loved the way these turned out so much that I kept them just the way they were developed.
• Plenty of pumpkin flavor: The rich pumpkin flavor compliments perfectly by a blend of spices making these bars are irresistible. I love that the creamy center also makes for the perfect texture experience in every bite.
• Pretty to serve: The layers that we have perfected to keep them from mixing give a gorgeous view of all the best things - cookie base, pumpkin filling and cream cheese frosting.

The ultimate pumpkin pie bar ingredients

• Cake mix - I like Pamela's white cake mix, it's gluten-free without compromising taste or texture. However, you can use any kind of gluten-free white cake mix.  I recommend using one that's made with a gluten free all purpose flour blend, not one that uses almond flour, coconut flour, or oat flour.
• Butter - You'll need butter for the bars and for the homemade cream cheese frosting. I found that a good grass-fed butter for depth of flavor is best.
• Sugar - White sugar works best for these bars but you'll also need powdered sugar for the frosting. I do not recommend swapping for brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup personally.
• Pumpkin - Make sure you use canned pumpkin puree, and not canned pumpkin pie filling. This is important since we are already adding allspice .

More recipes you'll love

• If you're looking for more fall flavor, try these gluten-free apple fritters made with the perfect blend of gluten-free flour.
• This gluten free chicken pot pie is an easy recipe that uses up Thanksgiving leftovers.
• For another gluten-free dessert recipe, try this creamy gluten free cheesecake.

These were originally posted on my blog on September 29, 2009. They have been given a photograph makeover but are still the delicious bars you remember. Here's an earlier photo...