Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars are made of fluffy, moist pumpkin sheet cake and topped with a “cream cheese” icing. A Fall tradition!
My mother-in-law used to make the most delicious Pumpkin Bars at Thanksgiving, and they were one of my favorite desserts ever.
They were made in a large sheet pan, and the cake was moist, fluffy and full of pumpkin spice flavors. Of course, they were topped with a cream cheese frosting. Yum, yum.
I have been wanting to re-create that recipe the best I can and veganize it for a while now, so I finally got to work! The results are seriously incredible.
I borrowed the frosting recipe from my Vegan Pumpkin Cookies recipe because it has gotten such rave reviews, and it’s just perfect on top of these moist vegan pumpkin cake bars.
How to make Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars, Step by Step:
First, mix the ground flaxseeds and water in a small bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a jelly roll pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, coconut oil, sugar and flax eggs until smooth.
Dump in the flour, then sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt on top of the flour. Mix until just combined. Don’t you just love 1 bowl baking?
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool while you make the frosting.
The most delicious, easy frosting:
This frosting tastes like cream cheese frosting without any cream cheese (vegan or otherwise). The trick? A tiny bit of apple cider vinegar!
Ingredients for the frosting: Softened vegan butter, powdered sugar, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and non-dairy milk.
Use a hand mixer and mix the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Only add as much non-dairy milk as you need to get it creamy. If it’s too runny because you added too much milk, just add more powdered sugar.
Once the cake has cooled completely, frost, cut into bars and serve!
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS:
- I used refined coconut oil, but you can use canola oil, avocado oil or melted vegan butter. You could probably use 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil to cut down on the fat if you wanted, but it will affect the flavor and texture of the cake.
- For gluten free, use a quality gluten free flour mix. Almond or coconut flour will not work as a substitution here.
- The recipe makes a lot! If you don’t want so many cake bars, cut the ingredients in half and make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- Store leftover bars covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They also freeze well, with or without the frosting.
Want more vegan pumpkin recipes?
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Scones
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
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Vegan Pumpkin Cake Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 5 tablespoons water
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup melted coconut oil*
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) vegan butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a jelly roll pan (15 x 10 inches). Set aside.
- Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and set aside to make your flax eggs.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar and flax eggs until smooth.
- Now add the flour to the wet ingredients. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt on top of the flour and mix with a large spoon until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter for about 2 minutes until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, apple cider vinegar and vanilla and beat everything together until smooth and creamy, adding a tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time as needed. If you add too much milk and it gets runny, you will need to add more powdered sugar.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, frost the cake, cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Use refined coconut oil if you don't want a coconut taste. May also substitute canola oil, avocado oil or melted vegan butter. You could probably use 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil to cut down on the fat but it will affect the overall flavor and taste of the cake.
- I haven't made these gluten free, but like most of my cake recipes a quality Gluten Free Flour Mix would likely work just fine.
- This recipe makes a lot of bars (20) so if you want less feel free to cut the ingredients in half and make it in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
- Make sure the cake is completely cooled before frosting so it doesn't melt. You can speed up the process by placing the cake in the refrigerator.
- Store leftover cake bars on the counter for 2-3 days, covered, or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen with or without the frosting.
Barb
I’m going to make these soon, but I’ve never used flax seeds. I see whole brown flax seeds, and I see a Golden meal. Is meal just ground golden seeds? Which do you use?
Nora
Golden meal or ground flaxseeds are what I use. You could also buy whole flaxseeds and grind them yourself, like in a blender or coffee grinder. But I always buy the pre-ground seeds. Golden meal is the same thing.
Barb
Thank you!
Colleen
Let me just say hands down BEST pumpkin”carrot” cake I’ve had! I have a very restricted diet as I have Crohn’s disease which keeps me from enjoying anything half way pleasurable, but this cake I can actually have!!!! So many vegan/gluten/egg/or dairy free dishes simply just don’t taste right, however you can’t tell with this recipe. I made this for just myself over the holidays so I could enjoy a special treat, but all the rest of the family ate it up before I could!!! My little thinks it’s carrot cake as it has a similar flavor so if you don’t do pumpkin, you could alternate w carrot puree. The icing is So good! I’ve made it with both Lactaid milk & almond, both delicious! Thank you so much….keep them coming!!!
Nora
Thanks so much for the comment! Glad you liked it!
Shawn
I made half a batch yesterday. Absolutely delicious! I used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer and added cinnamon and nutmeg to the frosting for a deeper complimentary flavor. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Nora
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed them.
Kelsey S
I’m not a vegan either but I thought I’d try it.
Kelsey S
This recipe was great!!
I added more ground flax with the flour, as well as some ground clove and vanilla. Turned out super great. Such a beautiful colour too.!
Dana Lynn Stuhlreyer
Our daughter came for Thanksgiving and she is a vegan. I wanted to make her a complete vegan meal from scratch and being that my daughter doesn’t eat butter or dairy of any sort, I thought I would try these pumpkin bars. I was so glad I did. They were absolutely delicious! Needless to say they were a big hit and I will be making them again for Christmas.
Nora
I’m so glad they were delicious!
Barb
I joined a book club and the host is vegan, so I’m looking for things I can make to bring when we meet. These look yummy and I want to make them. What is non-dairy milk? Do you mean almond or soy or what do you normally use?
Nora
Non-dairy milk includes soy, coconut, oat, almond, cashew as well as many other kinds. There are so many options available, you can use whichever you prefer for this recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!
Dana Lynn Stuhlreyer
Barb, I made these for Thanksgiving. I used Almond milk and the bars were delicious.
Emily
Hands down the best pumpkin cake i’ve ever had/made. I’m a huge pumpkin lover and was so looking forward to serving this on Thanksgiving. I made a test run the week before and ate about half myself. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Nora
You’re welcome! It’s my delight to share my recipes. I’m glad you love this recipe!
Kseniya
I never leave comments under recipes but I just HAD TO!!! I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner and it was so delicious. Everyone loved it! I halved the recipe and used an 8×8 baking dish. I also subbed coconut oil for avocado oil. I am so happy with this recipe! I am actually about to go making a second batch before there’s nothing left over from yesterday and I still have 1/2 can of pumpkin puree. Thank you so much and hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Nora
You’re so welcome! Glad they were a hit and I hope you had a wonderful holiday!
Morgan
Has anyone tried this with oatmeal flour?? Trying to make it for thanksgiving for people with food allergies so a good GF flour mix will not work but really wanting to try this!
Jennifer Cox
I tried a package of kite hill nondairy cream cheese and no one in my house likes it enough plain to eat it on a bagel or toast, unfortunately. But, since it was $6, I don’t want to throw it away. My thought was to use it in a frosting (maybe adding a ton of sugar will make it edible! lol!) but I am not sure how to make cream cheese frosting with vegan cream cheese – is the same as regular cream cheese? do you have a recipe or any tips? these pumpkin bars look like the perfect thing to put the cream cheese frosting on!
Nora
That’s funny, I actually really like that cream cheese lol! It would make a great cream cheese frosting, and I have a recipe for it here: Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. But yes, it really is basically the same as using regular cream cheese, it’s just that some vegan cream cheeses are made with coconut oil and melt easily. That’s not really the case with Kite Hill I believe, so it should be quite easy. Hope that helps, thank you!
Kathy
I love that brand I make cheese cake can’t tell the difference I just add corn starch and sugar tab of lemon but walmart sometime have them on sale for .75 cent they regular 6 bucks
Elaine B
I’m guessing the ground flaxseed and water is your egg substitute? If I don’t have that, but I have egg replacer – how many “eggs” is it?
I can’t wait to try this!
Nora
Yes that’s right, substitute for two eggs. I’m sure it will work with another egg replacer. Enjoy!
Jo
This cake is absolutely the best! Highly recommend and a great one to make throughout the holidays! Me and my fiancé ate half of it by ourselves in one sitting, it is that amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Nora
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the cake!
Peggy
If you make in 9×13 do you use the full recipe?
Nora
I would cut the ingredients in half to make in a 9 x 13 pan. Thanks!
Joshua Howard
Wow! This recipe is perfect for autumn! I made this cake today and it is AMAZING. I will definitely be making this cake during the holidays. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sonia Gregory
I just made this recipe and it was deliciously amazing! I used a 9×13 glass pan and it came out great. Thank you, Nora!
Nora
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cake bars! Thank you for sharing.
Rosa
Is it possible to use a real pumpkin and just bake it?
Nora
I don’t think it would turn out quite the same unfortunately, but it might work okay. Sorry I haven’t tried it! I just know that working with fresh pumpkin, even cooked, is a little bit different.
Anna
I used baked pumpkin and it worked just fine!
Alison
I had to make this immediately, and I’m so glad I did!! This is so delicious and perfect for fall. Thank you!!
Gail
Granulated sugar and powdered sugar,that most stores carry, are not vegan. Could you please clarify what you are using. Thank you.
Nora
If you want to make absolutely sure the sugar is vegan, buy organic. I have a Trader Joe’s nearby where I almost always buy granulated, brown and powdered sugar, all vegan. Hope that helps!
Gail
Thank you for your fast response and the Trader Joe’s tip.
Billy
I want some of this right now!
Carol
This looks delicious. What are the dimensions of your sheet cake pan please?
Nora
10 x 15 inches. You could make it in a 9 x 13 inch pan for a taller cake.
Amy
What would the bake time be for a 9×13 pan?
Nora
If you don’t cut the ingredients in half I would guess closer to 40 or 50 minutes, if you cut the recipe in half the time would be the same.