Protein Bars with Pumpkin Spice

I love the flavors of Fall like pumpkin spice and always try to think of new and fun ways of incorporating them into our daily meals. This little gem of a protein bar fits the bill and gives us a boost of protein in our snack.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (for garnish)
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• 1 TBSP raw honey
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 TBSP unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp plain almond milk
• ½ cup plain or vanilla plant-based protein powder (i.e. Vega, Garden of Life or Sun Warrior brands)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg, clove, ginger, allspice
• ¼ to ½ cup pumpkin puree, canned (no sugar added) or fresh
• 2 TBSP raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

To make the garnish, lay the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet in single layer; bake at 350o F for 5 minutes or until toasted light brown. Remove from oven and scoop into a bowl; set aside.

To make the bars, begin by blending just the sesame seeds and raw honey in a food processor until smooth; set aside in small bowl.

Next, put all remaining ingredients in the food processor and combine until chunky-smooth. Place in medium bowl and mix in the sesame-honey mixture; combine until well-blended.

Line an 8×8 glass baking dish with parchment paper OR coat lightly with coconut oil. Spoon the batter into the baking dish. If too sticky, add a small amount of water, less than a teaspoon at a time. Keep the batter thick, not runny!

Press the top of the batter with the roasted pumpkin seed garnish. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid. Remove and cut into 16 mini bars and serve cold.

For the leftover pumpkin puree try this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe!