I have to admit – I’m a Christmas girl through + through.

If we’re talking holidays, the 25th of December has got my heart big time. HOWEVER, Thanksgiving is a close second in terms of overall feels, but it definitely comes first place in the food department. Turkey? Mashed Potatoes? Veggies covered in cream sauces? Pies? Sign me up!

But the icing on the holiday cake? These Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars. Trust me.

Why “PALEO Pumpkin Pie Bars”?

If you’ve been following along with my health journey over on instagram or in any of my gluten challenge blog posts, you’ll know that my tummy doesn’t like wheat. It doesn’t like gluten AT ALL + it honestly doesn’t really love dairy either. Sadsies, I know.

These two issues aren’t too big of a bummer during regular meal times (hello, that’s the entire purpose of this blog – real + good food), however it does cast a bit of a shadow around holiday times. Nobody likes being the girl who has to miss out on all of the traditional treats, especially me.

I love Thanksgiving food. More specifically, I love my family’s Thanksgiving food. Our Thanksgiving day involves a table of 35+ people, lots of wine + football trash talking, and an excess of creamy, rich food. It just isn’t a Johns’ Thanksgiving without tons of veggies drenched in cheese. Can I get an amen?

When I suffered with my eating disorder in 2014, I missed out on so much. I remember bringing my own cauliflower mash to the family dinner because I was terrified of mashed potatoes. Bless me, how heartbreaking. Praise the Lord, I’m fully recovered from my short stint with anorexia, but my tummy still isn’t perfect in terms of how it functions + what makes it feel good. And so while my head is all for traditional pumpkin pie + all of the things, my digestive system isn’t.

Rather than miss out on things that I ADORE, I decided to create my own Paleo version of my favourite part of Thanksgiving. These Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars are dairy-free (yay!), gluten + grain-free (double yay!) and even refined sugar-free.

Making Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars

These bars are freaking delicious. They’re exactly what you love about the traditional dessert – creamy, dreamy, sweet + spiced. They have a golden, buttery crust + a nutmeg scented pumpkin custard topping. (DYING for some right now.) But, as I mentioned, they’re super allergen friendly. And even better – there’s no pie crust making involved!

Literally the steps are as follows:

Mix the crust, pour into the pan + bake.
Mix the filling, pour on the crust + bake.
Chill, slice + bask in pumpkin bar goodness.

Y’ALL THAT’S IT. Literally, these bars take about 5 minutes of prep. They’re so quick + so simple. Top them with some coconut cream + some extra pumpkin pie spice and you’re done. They’re incredible. You’ll be the star of the dessert table + no-one will know that they’re eating allergen friendly treats!

Can I prep these ahead?

Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely you can make these bars a day or two before your Thanksgiving feast to lighten the day-of prep load. Just be sure that you let the bars cool completely to room temperature before you cover them. (Feel free to leave them in the baking dish + cover with cling film.). Once they’re cooled + covered, simply store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

I hope you decide to treat your guests and to serve these delicious treats at your family Thanksgiving meal or just as a delicious weekday treat! If you do make them, I’d love to know what you think! The reviews/ratings below really do help my little ole blog! And as always, I love seeing your photos on instagram so be sure to tag me @jessicaeatsrealfood!

P.S. If you’re into all things pumpkin, like me, try out some other favs:

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