Golden Pumpkin Spice Bars
A cozy taste of fall with all the yum of pumpkin spice and all the benefits of Sunshine Golden Milk. Treat yourself or your whole family! This recipe is entirely gluten-free (vegan, too, if you’d like) and is no-bake if you start with pre-roasted pumpkin!
Ingredients:
Golden Pumpkin Layer:
1 cup cooked pumpkin (fresh baked or canned)
3 Tbsp Sunshine Golden Milk
3 Tbsp C maple sugar (or another natural granulated sugar of choice)
2 Tbsp softened grass fed butter or melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp melted cocoa butter*
2 tsp orange juice
⅛ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp sea salt
Crust:
8 large dates
½ c walnuts
¼ c pumpkin seeds
¼ c rolled oats
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp sea salt
Directions:
Combine all pumpkin layer ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside in the refrigerator until crust is ready.
Meanwhile, add all crust ingredients to a food processor and process until everything sticks together when you press the mixture between your fingers.
Line your pan with parchment paper by folding it in at the corners (choose an 8-inch loaf pan or 6-inch square pan--you can use a larger pan, it will just make thinner bars). Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the lined pan.
Add pumpkin mixture and spread evenly with a rubber spatula, smoothing the top. Place pan in fridge for four hours or until pumpkin mixture has firmed up. To speed the process, place in freezer for about 45 minutes.
Remove and cut into nine equal pieces. Store in the fridge for up to a week. To keep for longer or if you’d like them as a frozen treat, store in freezer.
*This recipe calls for cocoa butter for it’s rich flavor and the way it helps the pumpkin layer setup. You can replace with butter or coconut oil—though this will make the top layer a little softer.