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Sugar Cookie Vegan Pumpkin Bars

Sugar cookie vegan pumpkin bars with a buttery golden shortbread crust and a smooth pumpkin spice filling, baked until set. Topped with dairy-free cream cheese frosting and swirled over a chilled, sliceable bar.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chill time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sugar cookie base
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup vegan butter, cold and cubed
  • 2 tbsp plant milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Vegan pumpkin filling
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
  • 0.5 cup maple syrup or sugar
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Vegan frosting
  • 4 oz vegan cream cheese
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp plant milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and par-bake the sugar cookie crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment, letting the paper hang slightly for easy lifting.
  2. Combine all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then cut in cold vegan butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  3. Add plant milk and vanilla and mix until a dough forms with no dry flour pockets.
  4. Press the dough evenly into the lined 9x13 pan and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
Make and bake the pumpkin filling
  1. Whisk pumpkin puree, full-fat coconut milk, maple syrup or sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth and lump-free.
  2. Pour the pumpkin filling over the warm crust.
  3. Bake 20 to 22 minutes at 350F until the filling is set but still looks slightly jiggly in the center.
  4. Cool the bars completely, then refrigerate for 2 hours to fully firm up before frosting.
Frost and serve
  1. Beat vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, plant milk, and vanilla until smooth and spreadable, then spread over the chilled bars.

Notes

Pro tip: make sure the pumpkin filling is fully smooth before pouring—cornstarch lumps can leave thick spots. Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days; the bars can be frozen (frosting recommended after thawing) for up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, replace the maple syrup/sugar with a 1:1 baking sweetener swap if you prefer, keeping the cornstarch the same for proper set.