If you have not yet entered to WIN a 10 pack of Kardea Nutrition Bars…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? It’s SO easy!! Oh and once again, don’t forget about PART II for ways to enter!! You will get extra entries!!!
Last night was one of those nights where I was completely exhausted. I don’t know what came over me but I felt like my eyelids had weights on them! We made a simple “breakfast for dinner” with what was leftover in our fridge and then hit the grocery store. Something about the grocery store perked me right up though and I came home with a new found energy! I was ready to clean the kitchen, pack lunches, and bake!! What did I bake you ask? Pumpkin Spice Bars courtesy of Christina from Hungry Meets Healthy! Can you tell I’m trying to get you in the fall spirit?
The recipe could not be simpler!! I think they took me all of 10 minutes to prepare! The bars leave your kitchen with comforting sweet and spicy aromas that just make you want to cuddle up with a good book and cup of tea. Fall is in the air people and it begins with these bars!
If you are looking for a pumpkin treat that is not overly sweet, try your hand at these rectangular gems!
Why pumpkin??
- Low in fat and calories.
- Rich in nutrients; Alpha and Beta Carotene (converted in to Vitamin A in the body), Fiber, Vitamins C and E, Potassium, Magnesium, and Pantothenic Acid.
- Promotes healthy vision and immune function thanks to Vitamins A and C.
- Anti-aging properties, reducing skin damage from the sun.
- Tumor growth prevention.
- Helps lower cholesterol and fight heart disease due to its’ high fiber content! 1/2 cup pumpkin = 5 grams of fiber!!
- 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup Smart Balance light butter
- cinnamon
- 1 (15.5 oz) canned pureed pumpkin
- 2/3 cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
If you have trouble finding plain pumpkin without added sugars because you are one stop shopping (like I did), use this filling:
- 1 (15.5 oz) can of pumpkin pie filling (only need to add milk and eggs variety); be sure there are not artificial sweeteners or HFCS!!
- 2 T brown sugar
- dash of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup milk (I used organic 2%…it was on sale)
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda, walnuts, and butter (for a sweeter crust you COULD add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar but I did not). Beat until crumbly. Keep ~1 1/2 cups of the crumble to spread as a topping. Press remaining mixture into a lightly buttered 13×9″ baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Prepare filling: Beat pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, egg, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Spread filling over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for a 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
Nutritional Profile (with MY improvised filling): Calories 162.8, Total Fat 8.1g (saturated fat 1.9 g, poly 3.5 g, Mono 2.6 g), Cholesterol 14.1 mg, Sodium 201.5 mg, Potassium 126.0 mg, Carbohydrate 25.0 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Sugars 2.9 g, Protein 3.4 g
- Vitamin A 33.8 %
- Vitamin B-12 10.5 %
- Vitamin B-6 21.2 %
- Vitamin D 8.9 %
- Vitamin E 6.2 %
- Calcium 3.5 %
- Copper 9.1 %
- Folate 9.3 %
- Iron 8.5 %
I FINALLY found pumpkin at my grocery store yesterday and bought 6 cans so that I can make delicious baked goods like this! Thanks for sharing your adaptations…they sound great!
Oh those bars look great!
I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love pumpkin! my one question is, is it a fruit? it has seeds, so it must be…right???
I adore pumpkin for all the reasons you mentioned. I make a batch of pumpkin muffins each week, and now I’m going to have to try these tasty bars! This would be a great fall treat!
Pumpkin definitely says “fall” to me! The bars look delish.
I like your idea of making up for eating a little poorly by eating vegetarian for a week. I may not be able to do it for a whole week – I feel better when I eat meat – but I think I’ll plan in at least one veg meal. Great idea!
I love all things pumpkin. All the great fiber and nutrition is an added bonus! These pumpkin bars look like a a real winner to me.
These look amazing! Pumpkin is one of my favorite things about fall, though I’ve yet to purchase some. I now know what I’m going to be baking this weekend! Thanks for the recipe
It looks so gooey and yummy!
Mmmm, perfect!! I love anything with a crumbly top and the addition of pumpkin makes it even better
this looks AMAZING. and thanks for posting the nutritional info! i always make my own desserts/treats, never buy store bought because they’re usually higher in calories (and sometimes they just don’t say at all.) what is organic milk, btw? is that the same as raw? just curious
Sorry you couldn’t find pumpkin! I couldn’t either so I got Jess from Healthy Exposures to send me a ton (you have to bribe her, but it’s worth it!).
These look great! Not *quite* in the fall mood yet (it’s still pretty hot outside
) but I’m getting there. 
YUM! i love that you made these too. aren’t they awesome?! thanks for the shout out!!
Crap, I have every ingredient you listed. This means I need to get off my lazy buns and try this:) I am obsessed with pumpkin!
yum! i am loving the pumpkin theme in the blog world lately:-)
These sound great. Thoughts on subbing applesauce for the “butter” and/or flax egg for the egg? Just curious.
OMG, these are AMAZING! I drove by my farm today, and saw pumpkins and hay…it made me SO happy!!!
I love all of the pumpkin recipes lately — these look wonderful! And I love recipes where the prep is easy and quick and then your house smells so lovely with it baking!
My hubby emailed me THIS MORNING about making baked goods for a bake sale at his work tomorrow. I’ve been stressing about what to make with what I have on hand and this recipe solved all my problems! Thanks! Looks delicious, too!!!