Photo and text by LISA
KELLY, ecoRI.org
Oh hey, pumpkin. Nice
to see you again so soon.
Get ready, this is
just the beginning of gourd season. My reader, Pinterest and Instagram are all
full of savory pumpkin and squash meal pictures, but I’ve yet to see a lot of
desserts. And all I can focus on right now is desserts.
These bars are
seriously addictive. I ate the whole batch this past weekend, completely by
myself. Breakfast, midnight snack, post-yoga snack, I’m-bored-so-let-me-eat
another snack. Yes, they have sugar. Yes, they have flour. And no, I don’t
care.
These little bars make
the transition to fall much easier.
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Maple Cashew Icing
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup organic flour of your choice
Three-fourths cup organic brown sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp organic applesauce
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
Half tsp baking soda
Dash of sea salt
1 cup organic flour of your choice
Three-fourths cup organic brown sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp organic applesauce
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
Half tsp baking soda
Dash of sea salt
Maple Icing
1 cup raw cashews,
soaked for at least 2 hours
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all pumpkin bar ingredients and stir until creamy. Pour into a greased 8X8 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all pumpkin bar ingredients and stir until creamy. Pour into a greased 8X8 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend maple
icing ingredients together until smooth. After bars have cooled completely,
frost with maple icing and let set in the fridge for at least an hour before
serving.
Lisa Kelly is the
founder and personal chef at The
Vegan Pact.