Pumpkin Pie Bars with Pecan Oat Crust
I always think pie bars should be more appreciated than they are. I mean, pie is delicious in its own right, but make it handheld and easily cut into little squares to serve a crowd (or a few kids at snack time) and perfection has been achieved. Pumpkin pie is reserved for the big day in our house, Thanksgiving is the special occasion deserving of such a production. Pumpkin pie bars, on the other hand, I will whip up on a Saturday afternoon just for the thrill of it. The best part? It only uses one dish and is fancy enough to serve on holidays with a dollop of whipped cream. No one needs to know how simple it is to make and you can feel mighty good about relishing a small square at snack time.
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups oats
1 cup pecans
½ cup coconut or brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
Filling:
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 cup coconut or brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream (or canned coconut milk for dairy free)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
a bit of fresh pepper (trust me!)
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. I like to cut the corners at a diagonal a few inches in so the corners can overlap and fit in the pan easier.
In a blender, combine all of the crust ingredients until it forms a sandy dough consistency. Press it into the baking dish in an even layer. Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes to pre-bake. Meanwhile, use the same blender (no washing required!) to mix all of the filling ingredients together. When the 15 minute pre-bake is done, pour the filling over the crust. Put it back in the oven for another 30-40 minutes. It will still be just slightly jiggly in the very center. It will set up more as it cools. Let it cool on the counter for about 30 minutes then pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before attempting to remove from the pan. You can lift the whole slab out of the pan with the parchment sides and cut in cute little squares. If you’re feeling fancy, add a dollop on top of each square and enjoy! You can store them in the fridge (even with the whipped cream!) for up to 5 days.
