Pumpkin Apple Date Bars - Vegan!

After making (and devouring) the Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies  I decided to take a different twist with my leftover pumpkin. I know that you can use applesauce in a lot of recipes instead of oil (just like mashed banana) but I didn't have applesauce. What I did have, were apples. So I took one of the smallest, bruised and battered ones, peeled it, cut it into small pieces, put it in a microwavable bowl with some Splenda, cinnamon and about a tablespoon of water and cooked it on high for 2 minutes. Once the apple pieces were pretty mushy I poured them onto my cutting board and smashed them with a fork. Voila! Chunky applesauce. 

Pumpkin Apple Date Bars

1 c. rolled old fashioned oats

1 c. fiber cereal (like Fiber one - the kind that looks like twigs)

1 small apple - peeled, cooked, mashed as described above (or 1/2 c. applesauce)

3/4 c. pure pumpkin

5 chopped and pitted dates

2 tbsp. sliced almonds

1 tbsp. honey

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1-2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Makes 12 bars - approx. 1 1/2" x 3". 60 calories each.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray small cookie sheet with baking spray. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another bowl. Once both bowls are mixed well, add wet ingredients into dry. Mix thoroughly. Spread mixture out onto cookie sheet and flatten with the backside of a spatula. You may want to also spray that side with cooking spray so your batter does not stick. Try to press batter evenly across surface. You may come up short of one edge of the pan, if you do, simply use spatula to create a straight border.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces. 

So, so, so yummy. 

Stats per bar:

65 calories

1 g fat

17 mg sodium

85 mg potassium

15 g carbs

5 g fiber

2 g protein

40% vitamin A

3% vitamin C

7% calcium

7% iron