Skinny Pumpkin Banana Bars

Holy moly ladies and gents. I forgot how good these were! Peanut butter and Jelly might be the originals but Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Frosting are the new kids in town. Move over Regis… I’m loving my Kelly & Michael!
These little babies are just happy food.

Happy fluffy pumpkin-y cake with happy smooth cream cheese frosting. The kind of simple desserts that make a bad day good and a good day that much better.

I’m even more excited about this recipe because I worked so hard at getting it exactly right! I love regular pumpkin bars – but the addition of banana makes the flavor in these so smooth and compliments the pumpkin perfectly.  Topped with a light cream cheese frosting – these are heaven. Plus these are a much lower cal way to indulge in a fall favorite – all of the flavor and none of the guilt!

I love pumpkin bars

Nothing says Fall, comfort food, and happy – all at the same time –  quite like pumpkin bars.

And nothing says tease, secret, and yum……quite like a guest post 🙂

Today I’m guest posting over at Kym’s delicious blog, The Free Spirit Eater! Go check out her addictivesite here! Kym is a total sweetheart and I’m so excited she’s sharing her yummy space with me this week!

Ingredients

• For the Bars
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup soy yogurt (or regular yogurt)
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• For the Icing
• 8-ounce package dairy-free cream cheese (I like Tofutti brand) , softened
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance), softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make Skinny PumpkinBanana Bars ??

Step 1

Make the Bars.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, mashed banana, sugar, oil, soy yogurt, and pumpkin until light and fluffy.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt and baking soda.

Step 3

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
Spread the batter into your greased baking pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean with most crumbs clinging to it. Let cool completely before frosting.

Step 4

Make the Frosting Combine the dairy-free cream cheese and vegan margarine in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again.

Step 5

Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Skinny PumpkinBanana Bars Tips

Use Very Ripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bars will be—look for bananas with lots of brown spots.

Drain Pumpkin If Watery: If your pumpkin puree seems watery, blot it slightly with paper towels to avoid soggy bars.

Don’t Overmix: Gently stir the batter just until combined. Overmixing can make the bars dense or rubbery.

Cool Completely Before Cutting: Let the bars cool in the pan to firm up before slicing; they’ll hold their shape better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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