Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars

In case you love pumpkin pie and need a low-stress dessert recipe, then these vegan pumpkin pie bars with graham cracker crust are for you! They function a spiced pumpkin pie filling, which is made with vegan cream cheese, and a simple, press-in graham cracker crust. The bars are baked in a sq. pan and reduce into after chilling. They’re creamy and scrumptious, with completely crisp and crumbly bottoms.

An overhead image of a square of freshly baked vegan pumpkin pie bars.

Pumpkin pie is my favourite pie, and I’ve accordingly made many vegan variations of the recipe over time.

Lastly, just a few years again, I revealed a basic vegan pumpkin pie recipe that was a fruits of my efforts. It’s excellent.

Typically, nonetheless, one craves a shortcut model of a basic dessert. And that’s precisely what these vegan pumpkin pie bars are.

As Thanksgiving rolls round this 12 months, I discover myself particularly in want of a vacation meal plan that’s mild and forgiving. I examined the bars just a few weeks in the past, sensing that it might be a protracted month.

My hope was for a dessert that might communicate to my everlasting love of pumpkin pie with out requiring a lot work from me, and I acquired simply that.

Basic pie vs. pumpkin pie bars: is there actually a distinction?

The distinction between pumpkin pie bars and a basic pumpkin pie actually boils right down to crust.

Particularly, conventional pumpkin pie often contains a basic pie crust, or pâte Brisée.

Pumpkin pie bars, alternatively, can have just a few several types of crust. The recipe that I’m sharing on this submit contains a press-in, graham cracker crust.

Different pumpkin pie bar recipes function a shortbread crust. I’ve even seen recipes on this class that decision for no crust in any respect, however that’s the place I draw the road: at that time, we’re speaking about baked pudding!

Anyway, recipe distinctions is usually a little arbitrary, and the pie vs. pie bar delineation isn’t any exception. However the concept right here is that you just gained’t need to make, chill, and roll pastry prior to creating your pumpkin pie filling.

As a substitute, you’ll blitz up some graham crackers, combine them with melted butter and sugar, and press them right into a sq. baking pan.

Which graham crackers are vegan?

A number of graham crackers available on the market are vegan, whereas others have honey, egg, or dairy elements.

I sometimes preserve it easy and use Nabisco Unique Grahams, that are vegan, for baking. They’re my go-to not just for these pumpkin pie bars, but in addition my basic vegan cheesecake and no-bake vegan chocolate mousse pie.

Different vegan graham cracker manufacturers embrace Partake Basic Grahams, Kellogg’s Unique Graham’s Crackers, and Kroger® Unique Graham Crackers.

A sooner pumpkin pie filling

Often, I make vegan pumpkin pie with cashew cream, which ought to come as no shock. Soaked and blended cashews are my secret weapon in relation to creamy consistencies in cooking and baking.

At any given second, I’m prone to have a cup or two of cashew cream (to not point out cashew cheese, and cashew mayo) sitting in my freezer.

In case you don’t have such a stash, nonetheless, having cashew cream readily available for baking requires just a little forethought.

For my pumpkin pie bars, I take a fair simpler route, which is to make use of vegan cream cheese for creamy texture.

Retailer-bought vegan cream cheese is is quick, it’s low stress, and adaptable to varied meals allergic reactions. As an illustration, use Tofutti in the event you’re allergic to almonds or cashews, or Kite Hill in the event you’re allergic to soy.

I’ve examined the recipe thus far with Tofutti, Kite Hill, and Miyoko’s cream cheese, with good outcomes every time.

For what it’s value, for bagels and the entire breakfast issues, I’ve a do-it-yourself vegan cream cheese recipe with tofu that I really like. However I discover that store-bought vegan cream cheese is best for baking.

How one can make vegan pumpkin pie bars with graham cracker crust

I really like a dessert recipe that’s as straightforward as it’s rewarding.

There are a selection of steps required right here, and the bars must be chilled in a single day or for not less than 4 hours: plan your baking accordingly! Nevertheless, none of these steps are troublesome.

Step 1: Create a parchment paper sling on your baking dish

Step one on this recipe might is to prep your baking pan. It may be onerous to take away bars from a sq. baking pan except you employ a a parchment paper sling.

King Arthur’s tutorial on this course of is actually useful.

The sling will permit you to carry the entire baked good out of the pan, then slice it into particular person squares on a flat floor.

It’s a lot much less messy than attempting to chop the massive sq. into smaller squares first, then gingerly take away them, one after the other.

In case you don’t have parchment at residence, then you may take your probabilities with nonstick cooking spray. Reduce the squares after chilling and take away them from the pan, one after the other.

However let the client beware: I believe utilizing a sling is less complicated and cleaner!

Step 2: Put together the graham cracker crust

This all comes along with some pulsing within the meals processor. The elements are graham cracker sheets, vegan butter, and brown sugar, and it may be any vegan butter you want.

A crumbly graham cracker mixture is pictured in a square baking pan. — Earlier than urgent, the graham cracker crust shall be crumbly and unfastened. Use the underside of a measuring spoon or mason jar to press it down as instructed.

After processing the combination, press it down firmly in your lined 8-inch / 20cm sq. baking dish. I exploit the underside of a measuring cup or mason jar to do that.

Step 3: Mix the filling

The pumpkin pie bar filling comes collectively simply in a blender. This can be a recipe wherein home equipment do many of the work!

You’ll be mixing up:

Canned pumpkin purée
Vegan cream cheese
Arrowroot or cornstarch (both is ok)
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Pumpkin pie spice
Vanilla extract

A blender is pictured with pumpkin, cream cheese, and brown sugar in its container. — Mixing the filling for the pumpkin pie bars is fast and straightforward.

It’s best to solely want a minute or two to mix. As soon as the combination is easy, pour it into your ready sq. baking pan.

Step 4: Bake

At this level, the bars want 50 minutes in a 350°F / 175°C oven.

Vegan pumpkin pie bars are pictured before they go into the oven for baking, in a square dish. The dish rests on a white surface. — Previous to baking, the pumpkin pie filling could have a pale shade. Arrowroot or cornstarch assist to agency the bars as they bake.

After baking the highest of the bars shall be set, however they might nonetheless wiggle a bit, just like cheesecake. They’ll have a darker shade.

Step 5: Chill

In case you attempt to slice the pumpkin pie bars earlier than chilling them, they’ll be too delicate. A while within the fridge is important for them to set.

After the bars cool at room temperature for about an hour, cowl them and switch them to the fridge for chilling.

Ideally, it’s best to chill them in a single day, however 4 hours is sufficient time if you wish to make them identical day.

A perfectly square vegan pumpkin pie bar is pictured on a round, white plate. — After chilling, will probably be straightforward to take away the bars from their pan and reduce them into neat squares.

Step 6: Take pleasure in

After chilling, you may go forward and take away the pumpkin pie bars from the sq. baking pan, utilizing your sling. Reduce them into 9 squares, and serve them as you’re prepared.

A dollop of vegan whipped cream (I exploit a do-it-yourself tofu whipped cream or cashew whipped cream) is good, however completely elective.

Make forward and storage

As soon as baked, the bars may be saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days. You can even freeze them for as much as 8 weeks.

I occur to have a half batch in my very own freezer at this very second. I’ll be defrosting some on Wednesday, for Thursday’s vacation.