Pumpkin Cake Bars are so fluffy, spongy and moist. Made with gluten-free flours, pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce and pumpkin spice. Topped with a sweet and rich pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting. It's like taking a soft and delicious bite out of fall. These cake bars are super easy to make, gluten-free and refined-sugar free.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
Spray or rub an 8x8 baking pan or dish with coconut oil or avocado oil. Line with parchment paper making sure some of it sticks out from the sides. This will allow you to easily pull the cake out once it comes out of the oven.
In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients; blanched almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, pink sea salt. Whisk together until all ingredients are mixed and blended together.
In another large mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients; pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and continue to whisk until batter is formed. Batter should be thick but still pretty moist. This means the bars will be pretty fluffy and moist.
Pour batter into lined pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove cake from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cake sit in baking pan for 10-15 minutes. Grab sides of parchment paper that are sticking out of the baking pan. Gently, pull cake out of pan and place back on cooling rack. Allow cake to continue to completely cool off.
Once cake has completely cooled-down, make the pumkpin spice cream cheese frosting. Place all ingredietns for the frosting in a stand up mixer bowl or a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer); cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth frosting is reached.
Use a spatula to evenly spread frosting throughtout cake. Slice cake into 9 even squares. Slice cake down three ways, then again horizontally. This will result in 9 squares.
Place any leftover pumpkin cake bars in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.