Paleo Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie Bars

The perfect alternative to pumpkin pie! Homemade Nutella swirled through a thick layer of pumpkin pie filling, sitting atop a shortbread crust – you won’t believe they’re gluten free, dairy free, and paleo.

Getting into paleo baking is like starting from scratch. I feel like I should forget everything I know and treat it like a whole new world. At this point, I consider myself a novice who’s had some beginner’s luck that has a lot to learn from the pros. It’s a weird place to be in after running this blog for a few year, but it’s also sort of fun.

One of the things I’ve learned is that making frosting that doesn’t need to be refrigerated is basically impossible and that I should probably stop trying for a while because I might actually lose my mind trying. I’ve been taking the route instead of stuffing things with chocolate chips, drizzling them with honey, and — as of this recipe — swirling the tops with homemade paleo Nutella.

I found this recipe and I have to admit, it was easier than I thought it would be. It kinda makes me mad at myself for not making it sooner! Whip some up, store it in a jar, and use it as you like. But first – use it for these pumpkin pie bars.

To make these, you don’t need anything crazy. You don’t have to deal with making a pie crust, stressing out that it might crack. Just grab some maple syrup, coconut flour, coconut sugar, eggs, a can of pumpkin puree, some spices, and plenty of coconut oil.

Coconut oil has become essential for me in paleo baking. It acts as a great replacement fat, and can be used in either liquid or solid form to get different kind of textures in your finished product. I’ve been buying so much of it, but I only ever find it in small containers and I blow through them in no time flat. I probably look like a crazy person with a cart full of coconut oil all the time. I bet the people at the store call me coconut lady or something… I just know it.

When Tresomega reached out to me about their coconut oil, I was intrigued. I saw on their site that they offered a 29 ounce jar, and that sounded much more convenient than my crazy coconut lady situation. Spoiler alert: IT IS.

Besides having larger sizes that end up being more efficient, the product itself is pretty great. Melts smoothly, isn’t grainy, and has a lovely subtle flavor that lends itself well to baking. 

I was lucky enough to have them mail me a jar, but you can pick some up on their site, Sams, Amazon or Walmart. I’m participating in their Tresomega Nutrition Blogger Challege with this recipe, so — no pressure or anything — it’d be great if you could help me spread the paleo pumpkin love <3 Make sure to follow Tresomega Nutrition on Facebook and Twitter to see all the great entries!

For this recipe, you’re going to use the coconut oil twice: once in the shortbread crust, and again in the homemade Nutella. You can just leave your jar in a cabinet at room temperature and it will be just the way you need it – unless you live in Antarctica and “room temperature” is 40 degrees, in which case it will be too cold.

This crust makes a nice base for the pumpkin pie filling, and makes for a lovely layered effect when you sink your fork in for a bite. When I originally made this, I wasn’t even going for that but it was a pleasant surprise! 

That swirl, though. Just look at it. 

You can top yours with whipped cream, as is traditional. Or be a rebel and it eat without any topping at all. I’ve added a sprinkle of sea salt on top before and I’d highly recommend it. It gives it a certain… je ne sais quoi.

You know who else likes it? This freaking cat.

This freaking cat that will never leave me alone when I’m in the kitchen.

This freaking cat that thinks, “No, get off the table!” actually means “Please, climb up here and help yourself”.

SIGH.

Word to the wise: Indulge yourself in as many as you can before your crazy cat tries to make off with them.

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