These vegan pumpkin spice Nanaimo bars feature a press-in walnut date crust, cashew-maple filling infused with real pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and raw chocolate topping for a divine fall dessert that’s incredibly good for you!

I’m a real fan of vegan, no-bake desserts. I think I became really interested in these types of treats in 2014, when I bought Rawsome Vegan Baking by Emily Von Euw. I find that raw vegan desserts are virtually foolproof, and while they are often stellar to look at, they really don’t involve much effort on your part.

While I was living in Victoria, I was spoiled by the plethora of raw vegan desserts available at practically every turn, from health food stores to restaurants. (I’ve been experiencing pangs of “homesickness” for that place recently, to be totally frank, but that’s for another post.) My favourite was the “Bliss Bar,” the signature dessert from Cafe Bliss, which was basically a healthier, vegan version of a Nanaimo bar. That’s what I modelled my original Nanaimo bar recipe off of, and I knew it was high time to create a variation on the theme!

Enter these vegan pumpkin spice Nanaimo bars! They’re my favourite no-bake treat as of late, and I have a feeling they might become yours, too. They’re rich, luscious, and oh so delicious. And because they’re made with lots of nuts, they’re very satisfying. I’m not telling you to just eat one, but I don’t think you’ll be tempted to over-eat them, as you would with, say, a traditional Nanaimo bar made with tons of refined sugar. Even my dad, who has a big sweet tooth and can easily eat two big slices of chocolate cake, found that one or two small squares of this bar were totally satisfying for him.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

FOR THE BASE: Soft pitted Medjool dates, walnuts, shredded coconut, cocoa powder or raw cacao powder, and fine sea salt.
FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER: Raw cashews (that have been soaked and drained), maple syrup (or raw honey if you are not a strict vegan), non-dairy milk, cacao butter, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, fine sea salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and cloves.
FOR THE RAW CHOCOLATE LAYER: Cacao butter, cocoa or raw cacao powder, maple syrup or raw honey, and non-dairy milk.

(Note that maple syrup is technically not raw, and honey is technically not vegan… these are just two natural sweeteners that are produced close to my home, and I think that is more sustainable and healthy than raw agave nectar. But you are welcome to use raw agave nectar if you would like a completely raw vegan dessert. 🙂 )

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE BASE: Place the walnut halves, chopped dates, shredded coconut, cocoa, and sea salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Process until the mixture resembles coarse grains of sand and is sticky. If, for some reason, the mixture is not sticking together, it’s likely because your dates were not soft enough. If this happens to you, add a tablespoon of almond milk or a teaspoon of coconut oil. This will help the mixture come together.
Line a 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Press the date-walnut mixture into the pan, doing your best to press down into an even layer. Set aside while you make the middle layer.
MAKE THE MIDDLE LAYER: Add the soaked cashews, maple syrup or honey, melted cacao butter, pumpkin, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, and cloves to an upright blender. (A Vitamix or Blendtec works best here; if you don’t have one, a regular blender will work, but it won’t get as smooth.) Start blending on the lower speed and gradually increase the speed. Blend until ultra smooth, without any chunks of cashews in the mixture. This will take a bit of time, but be patient! 🙂
Pour the cashew filling over the base and put into the freezer for three hours to firm up.
MAKE THE RAW CHOCOLATE TOPPING: Melt the cacao butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, whisk in the cocoa powder, maple syrup or honey, and non-dairy milk. Remove the Nanaimo bar from the freezer, pour the raw chocolate over top, and tilt the pan a few times to spread the chocolate evenly. Return the pan to the freezer for one more hour.
SLICE THE BARS: Once the raw chocolate topping is firm, remove the pumpkin spice Nanaimo bar from the freezer and lift it out of the pan. Place on a cutting board. Run a knife under hot water to facilitate slicing, then slice the bar into 16 squares.
Store the bars in the freezer and remove from the freezer ten minutes before enjoying to allow them to soften.

MORE FANTASTIC PUMPKIN SPICE RECIPES

I hope you love these vegan pumpkin spice Nanaimo bars! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below this post. And if you share a photo on Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made!

Enjoy!