Pumpkin bars
Moist, spiced pumpkin bars with a classic tangy cream cheese frosting. Add a drizzling of salty maple caramel sauce on top. Yum!
One of my most nostalgic desserts with a salty twist. I’ve been making these bars since I was a kid. Actually one of the first recipes I learned to make without a recipe. These hold so many special memories for me, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Nostalgic Recipe Series, Fall Edition
I’m starting a new series called nostalgic recipes. As November 1st hit, I immediately started thinking about all my favorite childhood foods and seasonal memories. What better time to start this series than the week of Thanksgiving! So, over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing all my favorite seasonal dinners and desserts, and the memories associated with them. Of course, adding a slightly healthier but delicious twist to them.
Pumpkin Memories
Memories and food are so intertwined that it's hard for me not to remember something without bringing me right back to what I was eating. Pumpkin bars are one of the first recipes that pop into my mind. This fall dessert quickly became a staple at my house. They were easy and quick to make, affordable and my mom could make them a little bit healthier with some simple ingredients swaps. I didn't grow up in a sugar household, I had a health-nut family. Everything has an alternative. Coconut sugar was swapped for cane sugar and apple sauce and maple syrup were used to add sweetness and moisture. Turns out it is actually quite genius, and makes a fantastic moist, soft fluffy bar. My mom never made anything according to the recipe, she's one of those wing-it type bakers. The fact that they turned out as delicious as they did is still a mystery to me. When my brother was small, pumpkin bars were his favorite dessert, but he never could pronounce pumpkin. Much like he couldn't pronounce my name, I was forever "seewa". He used to call these punch'kin bars. It was so cute, it made us giggle every time he said it. When I make this dessert now I think of him, and it makes me smile.
Healthier Ingredient Swaps
Made with my favorite ingredients einkorn flour and coconut sugar, truly makes these a treat you can feel good eating while still indulging in a fall pumpkin dessert. I also am not a fan of overly sugary desserts, particularly frosting. So for the sugar in this recipe, there isn't much. I’ve found the perfect balance of not-too-sweet, salty, spiced pumpkin goodness. These bars are sweetened with coconut sugar, a little maple syrup, and applesauce. This creates a perfectly moist dessert that highlights the pumpkin well. Not too sugary, tangy cream cheese frosting and drizzling them with a little maple miso caramel sauce. Letting all the pumpkin shine.
Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Let’s make Pumpkin Bars
Gather all the ingredients. Wet ingredients: Canned pumpkin, eggs, avocado oil, yogurt, applesauce, coconut sugar and maple syrup. Dry ingredients: Einkorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground spices and salt.
Canned Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. The labels can be confusing.
Avocado oil: To create the perfect moist, fluffy textured bar I use a combination of avocado oil, yogurt and applesauce. Adding a little applesauce also add a little natural sweetness and compliments the pumpkin well with the maple syrup.
Einkorn Flour: I prefer to use einkorn flour in most of my baked goods because of its fantastic flavor, silky texture and health benefits. Einkorn makes a great choice because of its silky texture that helps create a moist, smooth batter that makes a nice soft crumb texture. I wrote more about why I love Einkorn flour in my Einkorn Biscuits recipe. If you choose to use AP flour change the flour measurement to 2 cups instead of the written 1 3/4 cups. Einkorn flour has slightly different absorbency than AP flour.
Cream Cheese Frosting: You may notice how little butter and powdered sugar there are in the cream cheese frosting recipe. I like more cream cheese forward tangy frosting than all sugar. For me it overwhelms the other flavors.
White Miso Paste: Adding a little white miso paste to the maple caramel sauce creates a irrisistable butterscotchy, saltiness to these bars. Use a mellow white miso as to not overpower flavors. This ingredient is my new obsession. Try my Miso Honey Butter on my Einkorn Biscuits or add a scoop to a brothy soup. Instantly adds complexity and levels up you meals.
How to Make Pumpkin Bars
DESSERT
Pumpkin Bars
Cream Cheese Frosting and Maple Miso Caramel Sauce
Baking Time: 30 Minutes Servings: 15-20 bars
INGREDIENTS
(1) 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 3/4 cups Einkorn Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
(2) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Miso Maple Caramel Sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13” metal baking pan with butter.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients: pumpkin, eggs, avocado oil, plain yogurt, applesauce, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Mix until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: einkorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Mix together and set aside.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the pumpkin and other wet ingredients. Using a spatula mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated and no clumps of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix this batter. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the einkorn flour to absorb the moisture.
Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread in an even layer.
Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread in an even layer.
Bake the bars for 30 minutes, or until slightly golden brown, puffed, and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely.
Make the Frosting: While the bars are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed first, and increase to high for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Make the maple miso caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, maple syrup, butter, and white miso paste. Place pan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until butter is melted and miso paste is dissolved into the heavy cream. Allow to slowly simmer over the heat, continuing to whisk to prevent burning for about 3-4 minutes until bubbly and slightly thickened. Immediately take off the heat and mix in the vanilla. Allow to cool. The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat.
To serve, spread the frosting on the cooled bars and cut into squares. Drizzle with the maple miso sauce and enjoy! Cover leftovers tightly and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. The caramel sauce can be kept in the fridge for about a week, just warm up slightly to get a better drizzling consistency.