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Paleo Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are a grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free version of classic snickerdoodles with a pumpkin twist! You’ll love these super easy, warmly-spiced fall treats!

Paleo Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free snickerdoodles that are made with almond flour. A healthier pumpkin dessert recipe!

HELLOOOOO cookie bar of my dreams!

A little cinnamon and sugar, a little pumpkin spice action, a perfectly chewy yet crispy cookie bar with warm flavors to make me feel like autumn is thriving in my taste buds? 

Put ‘em on repeat, please and thank you!

I enjoyed my Keto Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars so much that I figured I would revisit the deliciousness and create these Paleo Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars.

The overall concept here is we’re taking classic snickerdoodle cookies, turning them into bars, making them grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free, and adding some pumpkin flair to them, because: autumn.

If you follow a keto diet, no sweat – I have included a keto version down below. In fact, the majority of my recipes that are paleo can easily be made low-carb or keto by swapping out the granulated sweetener with your favorite sugar-free sweetener.

These incredibly inviting pumpkin cookie bars are a glorious treat to share with friends and family and have on hand during the fall and winter months….or year round if you’re a believer that pumpkin knows no season 😉

Let’s dive right into the ingredients for these epic cinnamon and sugar pumpkin spice cookie bars!

Paleo Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - grain-free, dairy-free, cinnamon and sugar sprinkled cookie bars

Avocado Oil (or coconut oil): The fat portion of these bars for flavor, texture and good chemistry. If you’re not dairy-free, you can easily replace the avocado oil with melted butter. You can also go with melted coconut oil!

Pumpkin Puree: Canned pumpkin puree gives that pumpkin vibe to these pumpkin snickerdoodles. It is actually the combination of the canned pumpkin and the pumpkin pie spice that gives a baked treat that warmly-spiced fall feel.

Egg: One egg helps fluff up the cookie bars for perfect texture. Egg helps keep these bars held together. I haven’t tested the recipe using an egg replacer yet, but if you give it a try let me know in the comments which one (and how much) you use!

Vanilla Extract: Providing a little dose of warmth, vanilla extract is always lovely to add to baked goods. It’s totally fine to skip it if you don’t have it on hand.

Almond Flour: The flour portion of the recipe! Almond flour when combined with other goodies like egg, sugar and oil has a chewy texture, just like regular cookies. It is a great grain-free, low-carb alternative to regular all-purpose flour.

Maple Sugar or Coconut Sugar: Used to sweeten the cookie bars, maple sugar or coconut sugar are good options for lower glycemic, less refined sweeteners. You can also go with raw cane sugar, brown sugar, or any type of sugar-free granulated sweetener for a keto version of these bars.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Used for leavening and crisping, we need both baking powder and baking soda to keep the cookie bars nice and hold-together-esque and also generate a delightful crisp around the edges.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: That amazing ingredient that makes you feel like you’re enjoying a slice of autumn in your mouth 😉 If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own blend if you have all of the components or simply use cinnamon.

Cinnamon: What makes a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle! We couldn’t possibly make them without cinnamon. Use cinnamon and maple sugar topping for that iconic snickerdoodle essence.

Paleo Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - made with almond flour - grain-free, dairy-free healthier snickerdoodle recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper (I used foil because I was out of parchment).

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and pumpkin puree until well combined.

Whisk together the wet ingredientsAdd the remaining ingredients for the cookie bars and mix well until a very thick, sticky dough forms (Note: the dough should look like regular cookie dough and all the “graininess” from the almond flour should be gone).

Add the dry ingredients and stir well

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.

Transfer the pumpkin snickerdoodle dough to the baking pan

In a small bowl, stir together the maple sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Cinnamon and sugar topping for the snickerdoodles

Sprinkle a little over half of this mixture over the cookie bars.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the cookie bars

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. I go 20, turn the oven off then leave the cookie bars in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Finished cookie bars in a baking pan

Remove the cookie bars from the oven and allow them to cool.

Tug on the parchment paper to pull the cookie bars out of the baking pan and transfer to a cutting board to cut them.

Slice and serve! You can sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture over the cookie bars if you’d like.

Can I Make These Keto?:

For a low-carb keto version of these pumpkin snickerdoodle bars, simply replace the maple sugar with your favorite granulated sugar-free sweetener. I always like to use sugar-free brown sugar in recipes like this because it adds a nice moisture and depth of flavor. 

Grain-Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - classic snickerdoodle cookies in bar form with a pumpkin twist

More Healthy Pumpkin Dessert Recipes:

Enjoy these pumpkin spice dewdrops of joy!

Paleo Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

5 from 2 votes
By Julia
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 15 Bars
A grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free version of classic snickerdoodles with a pumpkin twist!
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Ingredients 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars:

For Sprinkling:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar*
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, and melted coconut oil (or butter) in a mixing bowl until well combined (wet ingredients).
  • Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well until a very thick, sticky dough forms.
  • Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the sugar-free sweetener and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle a little over half of this mixture over the cookie bars. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly golden-brown and the bars test clean
  • Remove the cookie bars from the oven and allow them to cool.
  • Tug on the parchment paper to pull the cookie bars out of the baking pan and transfer to a cutting board to cut them.
  • Slice and serve! You can sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture over the cookie bars if you’d like.

Notes

*For a sugar-free version, use sugar-free granulated sweetener. You can also use regular brown sugar or granulated cane sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 15, Calories: 113kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Paleo Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars - grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free pumpkin spice cookie bars with cinnamon and sugar topping

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Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a cookbook author, recipe developer and owner of TheRoastedRoot.net. She shares quick and easy recipes for all occasions, from nutritious weeknight meals to holiday recipes. Dinner recipes, side dishes, desserts, appetizers, and more, can all be found on her website. Go to Julia's about page to learn more about her.

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14 Comments

  1. Rebecca Chamberlain says:

    What is the best way to store these if I make them a day ahead? Would it be best to freeze them or will they be good if covered on the counter?

    1. Julia Mueller says:

      Hi Rebecca! I would store them covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator 🙂 I find the bars are best when served chilled, so the refrigerator is the best bet. If you don’t have space in the refrigerator, the freezer works but be sure to take the bars out in advance of when you need them. I don’t recommend storing at room temperature because the taste and texture isn’t as nice.

  2. Rebecca says:

    These look fantastic! Could you double for a 9×13 or quadruple for a cookie sheet size?

    1. Julia Mueller says:

      Hi Rebecca! You are correct! Double the recipe for 9 x 13! Depending on the size of your sheet pan (I have multiple that are all different sizes), you may only need to triple the recipe. If your cookie sheet is very large, quadrupling will be the best bet. You may need to adjust the cooking time too, since you’re baking a larger volume. Just keep an eye on the bars and you can take them out when the edges are slightly golden brown and the center appears set up but isn’t overly firm. Happy baking!

  3. Isabelle Espinoza says:

    Can I use maple syrup instead of maple sugar?

    1. Julia says:

      Hi Isabelle!

      I haven’t tested the recipe with a liquid sweetener, but it should work as long as you add some more almond flour to offset the liquid. Just be sure the dough resembles regular cookie dough and you should be good! 🙂 xoxo

  4. Mel says:

    Made these with my 6yr old and we all loved them!!! Thanks for yet another great recipe!

    1. Julia says:

      I love hearing that! Thanks so much for letting me know, Mel!

  5. Christine says:

    just made these tonight!

    1. Julia says:

      So thrilled to hear it! I hope you love them!! xoxo

  6. RunnerGirl says:

    Just made these! They are good, but appear a lot thinner than yours!? I used maple sugar & baked in an 8 inch pan

    1. Julia says:

      Interesting…I’m not sure why that would be! I made mine in an 8-inch pan too, but perhaps it is smaller than advertised… 😀

  7. Shirley says:

    I will make these for our weekend camping trip. They look like they will hold up well and will be a healthier snack.

    1. Julia says:

      I hope you love them! They really are a great treat to munch on 😀 xoxo