‘Tis the season for pumpkin everything. Lattes, candy, candles and even body wash (yes, I can’t believe it either). Way before pumpkin became a trend, I’ve always liked pumpkin pastries, especially in the morning. Many are filled with sugar and lot’s of artificial junk. Although this does have some sugar, it’s a lot less than other pumpkin pastries I’ve had. I experimented with these skinny pumpkin bars a few times and think I have found perfect balance.

These bars are a great treat and toddler approved. Whether a pre-dinner snack or a dessert, these pumpkin bars are delicious.  They are not overly pumpkin and the chocolate chips are a great addition, but could be supplemented with sliced almonds too. My son devoured three in one day and I am not going to even tell you how many I ate…..

Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup granulated sugar (you could use an artificial sweetener, however I have never tried to less the calories)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened (I tried margarine. It doesn’t taste the same)
• 2 eggs and 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 (15oz) can All Natural mashed pumpkin (I like Trader Joes and Aldi)
• ¾ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (you could substitute for sliced almonds)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt; set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars; mix until creamy.
5. Add eggs one at a time; beating and scraping bowl with each addition.
6. Add egg whites; mix until fluffy.
7. Add applesauce and pumpkin; mix until all blended together
8. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until thick consistency.
9. Add in mini chocolate chips.
10. Evenly spread into prepared cookie sheet.
11. Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
12. Cool and enjoy!

I hope you guys like it! It’s one of my favorite fall treats to make on a cool, autumn morning. As always, thanks for reading. You can follow me on here and on Instagram.

Until next time,

Christine