A sweet treat perfect for all your fall festivities!
These healthier pumpkin bars are going to knock your fuzzy socks off this season! With so much food filling your plates, take the opportunity to add one lightened-up item that will taste just like your grandmother’s recipe!
Whip up this delicious dish to share with your friends and family over the holidays. I promise it’ll satisfy those taste buds and waist lines!
Hi there 🙂 yayayay 2 more days until my favorite holidays and if you’re anything like me you’ll be spending the next couple days preparing a bunch of yummy dishes to bring to my family’s thanksgiving! 🦃
If you’re not so prepared this recipe is just the thing you need!
On the lineup this year is my famous healthier sweet potato casserole, a broccoli salad and of course these pumpkin bars! We have been going to my grandparents for thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. And as of recent, the grand kids (all adult children now) bring a dish to help grandma in the kitchen! It’s been really fun to try everyone’s dishes and share recipes.
Now onto the main event!
You guys are going to love these pumpkin bars. First of all, they are easy. Second of all they’re delicious. And third, does there even need to be a third of all??
I love pumpkin… as you can tell from my recent posts!
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Bowl (and, yes I plan to have this for breakfast tomorrow!)
The nutritional benefits are out of this world and it makes baked goods moist (which is sometimes an issue with gluten free desserts) win. win. 👍🏼 Plus, it feels festive as hell and that just puts a smile on my face 😊
What You Need:
Bars
Gluten free baking mix (I like Pamelas’ gluten free baking mix!)
Cinnamon, Nutmeg
Baking powder & soda
Coconut sugar
Pure maple syrup
Pumpkin puree
Eggs
Coconut oil
Vanilla extract
Frosting
Greek yogurt cream cheese (Franklin Foods)
Butter (I use Brummel and Brown’s Yogurt Butter)
Almond milk
Vanilla extract
Organic powdered sugar (I like Wholesome brand)
My favorite part of testing recipes is figuring out how to lighten them up and use better ingredients. This one wasn’t too hard.
It’s usually just trying to cut down on fat and/or sugar, so this one I replaced regular cream cheese with Greek Cream cheese (love this option!!! I use it all the time in recipes and it tastes just like the real thing).
I replaced regular white sugar with pure maple syrup and coconut sugar. These are two sweeteners that have lower GI (glycemic index), which means they don’t spike your blood sugar as easily – not giving you that sugar high (caution: this is still sugar, hence the recipe name “healthier.”)
I replaced regular butter with coconut oil in the bars and Brummel and Brown’s Yogurt Butter in the frosting. I’ve grown up on this butter and it’s a great option to cut fat. I love the flavor (and got Nick hooked too!) You cannot tell the difference at all.
How to Make These Healthier Pumpkin Bars
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, spraying a 9×9 inch pan with cooking spray and laying out the greek cream cheese to thaw. Then with a hand mixer, combine all the wet ingredients (put in a large bowl because it ends up being a lot!). Next, mix all the dry ingredients (flour and spices). Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and again using the hand mixer, combine all the ingredients.
You’ll fill the the pan with the batter and place in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes. Use the toothpick method to determine when the bars are done. Then place the pan on a cooling rack (or if you’re impatient like me you can place in the fridge.) While the bars are cooling, whip up the cream cheese frosting.
Place all the frosting ingredients into a medium bowl and use a hand mixer to combine. Start by only adding 1 cup of powdered sugar and then once mixed, add the second cup.
Once the bars are cooled, spread the frosting on top. I didn’t use all the frosting – I probably had a ½ cup left, use what you want and save the rest for dipping later 😋
Now who’s ready to get their turkey day fat pants on? 🙋🏽♀️ Have a great day with crazy family, food-filled bellies and thankful hearts.
- Bars
- • 2 cups gluten free flour (I used Pamelas’ gluten free baking mix)
- • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- • 1 tsp baking powder
- • ½ teaspoon baking soda
- • 1 can pumpkin puree
- • 3 eggs
- • ¾ cup coconut sugar
- • ½ cup pure maple syrup
- • ½ cup coconut oil
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting- • 8 oz greek cream cheese (I use Franklin Foods)
- • ¼ cup Brummel and Browns yogurt butter
- • 2 tablespoon almond milk
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • 2 cup organic powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray and lay out greek cream cheese to thaw.
- Combine all the wet ingredients in a large bowl with a hand mixer (1 can pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, ¾ cup coconut sugar, ½ cup pure maple syrup, ½ cup coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla)
- Next, combine all dry ingredients (2 cups gluten free flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda).
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and again using hand mixer, combine all ingredients.
- Once mixed, add batter to pan and place in oven for 30 - 35 minutes. (use the toothpick method to determine when bars are done.)
- Place on rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine frosting ingredients (8 oz greek cream cheese, ¼ cup Brummel and Browns yogurt butter, 2 tablespoon almond milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cup organic powdered sugar)
- into a medium bowl with hand mixer. (start by only adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.)
- Once bars are cooled, spread frosting on top. (note: I didn’t use all the frosting – use what you want and save the rest for dipping later!)
- Enjoy!
