Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting
My mom has been making these pumpkin bars for years! Every fall I look forward to eating handfuls of her famous pumpkin bars. My sister came over craving them, so I cleaned them up a little bit without changing the classic taste! These bars are so easy, and only take 30 minutes from start to finish! I am bringing them to our friend Halloween party tonight, and you should do the same!
I am berry obsessed so I always opt for berries on my crepes, but you can put whatever you want on them! If you are in the mood for a savory crepe then do not use sugar in the recipe and you are good to go! I have found that the best technique is to pour around 1/4 cup or 1/3 (depending on desired thickness) into the pan. Rotate the pan so that the entire pan is covered in batter.
Ingredients for the Bars:
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
3/4 cup coconut oil (or avocado oil)
4 egg
1 tsp pure vailla
2 cups whole wheat flour ( or spelt flour)
2/3 cups of pure honey ( or coconut sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
Ingredients for the frosting:
1 8oz package of creme cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs. almond milk (or water)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Then combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir until there are no lumps.
Pour mixture into a baking sheet and spread out the mixture evenly. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
While the pumpkin bars are baking, begin on the frosting, In a large bowl combine room temperature cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. With a hand mixer or stand mixer whip for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Allow the bars to cool before frosting. Once cool, frost the bars and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired.