in a food processor, combine the crust ingredients (gluten-free all-purpose flour, raw cane sugar, cold vegan butter, dairy-free milk, and sea salt). pulse until the mixture forms into a dough.

press the crust mixture into a 9-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. in food processor, combine the organic pumpkin purée, maple syrup, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cream cheese, protein powder, and vanilla extract. blend until smooth and well combined.

after the crust has baked for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and pour the pumpkin filling on top of the crust.

return the pan to the oven and bake at 350 degrees for an additional 35 minutes. once done, remove from the oven and let the pumpkin pie bars cool for at least few hours in the fridge. i cooled mine in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up the process.

in a saucepan, combine the chopped pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, and coconut oil. heat the mixture over low heat on the stovetop. stir and cook the mixture until the pecans become sticky and the ingredients are well combined. this should take about 5-7 minutes.

once the sticky pecan topping is ready, you can drizzle it over your baked vegan and gluten-free protein pumpkin pie bars for added flavor and texture. store in the fridge in an airtight container.