Pumpkin Pie Bars

Welcome to our weekly Foodie Friday link up! I’m linking up with Montana from Pretty Lil Mudder, Annmarie from the Fit Foodie Mama, Emily from Whatever Floats Your Oats, Esther from Chocolate Runner Girl, and Cassandra from Powered By Bling, to create awesome healthy recipes each week! Today’s theme = Thanksgiving Traditions! Make sure you hop around to check out all the amazing recipes in this link up and feel free to add your recipes as well!

I actually haven’t gone home for Thanksgiving inĀ  4 years (including this one), because 2 days of travel for 1-2 days off just isn’t worth the plane ticket across the country. :/ Last year, I spent my Thanksgiving at school, and in my first year of med school, I went down to North Carolina to hang out with my cousins. While I was in New Jersey, I went to Boston to hang out with one of my super-awesome friends.

As far as Thanksgivings back at home go, we used to get together with all our family friends (which I affectionately refer to as the Asian Mafia) and potluck like nobody’s business. :O Each year, a different family hosts and we’d stake out the garage with tables of food. In all fairness, we generally had 15+ families, so I mean…in a sense, it was also sorta necessary. :D? We’ve all known each other for ages (I was probably around 3, so our spanned-generation friendships have been around for over 2 decades!). We’re pretty much like family, although in recent years, it’s been harder and harder for all of us to get together since we’ve scattered all over the globe.

Playing Mafia!

One year, we decided to make things interesting and have a pumpkin-or-butternut-squash pie-eating contest. Blindfolded. Only one set of parents conceded to participate, and the rest of us decided to pair up with siblings or significant others.

My brother and I came in third, although we were the first to cram all of the pie slices into our mouths. I was laughing too hard and started choking, and my brother fully underestimated the stickiness of the pie.

The only set of parents to participate, aka the only civilized team with any shred of dignity! (The two in the background behind them won, but are you really all that surprised? :O Look at that intensity! D: )

So in the spirit of said pie-eating contest (because I don’t think I should revisit the Turducken that I also happened to make that year with friends…), here’s a healthified version of Pumpkin Pie Bars adapted from The Smart Cookie Blog!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Pumpkin Pie Bar

Ingredients:
(Crust)
-1 cup rolled oats
-1/4 cup spelt flour
-1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
-2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp ground ginger

(Filling)
-1/3 cup spelt flour
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp ginger
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
-1 scant cup rice milk
-1 egg
-2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) In a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients until a sticky mixture is formed and spread it in an even layer into two ~8″ x 5.5″ tins.
3) In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry filling ingredients (flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ground ginger, salt).
4) Add all remaining filling ingredients (pumpkin, milk, egg, vanilla extract) into a separate bowl and mix until smooth and creamy.
5) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a smooth mixture forms.
6) Pour over crust and spread it into an even layer.
7) Bake for ~35 minutes, or until firm. Let cool, then chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Cut into squares and serve!

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26 comments

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  1. Mmmm pumpkin bars…yes, please! Your Thanksgiving get togethers look like so much fun!!! Sounds like you all have a blast together!
    Annmarie recently posted…Foodie Friday: Thanksgiving Traditions with a TwistMy Profile

    1. I miss them a lot, but have been building new “traditions” for the past couple years, so it evens out! :P

  2. I hear you on the travel days for just a bit of time at home. For me as well there is the whole dealing with the 2 busiest airports in the world bit! I went home home for the first time in probably 4 years this Thanksgiving (and only for 2 days) but it was so worth it, I have to say!
    Susie @ Suzlyfe recently posted…State-of-the-Suzlyfe and Blogiversary Foodie GiveawayMy Profile

    1. Augh! I feel your pain. When I found out I had Wednesday through Friday off, I briefly contemplated flying back to CA, but the plane ticket prices would have been astronomical, and I just couldn’t justify it. ._. I’m glad you got to go back home though, even if it was for a short time!

  3. These look good. Just because Thanksgiving is over, doesn’t mean pumpkin recipes should be. ;)
    Angie Bailey (Precisely Mine) recently posted…Ozeri 3x Tower Fan ReviewMy Profile

    1. haha, agreed! :] I’m gonna miss all the festive recipes when the holiday season’s over! :[

  4. I wish I was able to easily go home, but I’m glad I got to see my dad!
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 11/28/14My Profile

    1. Same here! (This is why teleportation needs to be a thing!) I’m glad you got to see your dad too!

  5. Thank you for the great post. We are trying this recipe.
    susan quackenbush recently posted…COGITO Classic – The Connected WatchMy Profile

    1. Thank you! :] Hope you like it!

  6. Yummy, these pumpkin bars look delicious!

    1. Thank you! :]

  7. These bars look so yummy! Being an ER doc, I work plenty of holidays so I can totally relate to not getting to see family. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving even though you didn’t get to go home.
    Sonali- The Foodie Physician recently posted…Recipe Resuscitation: Spaghetti Squash LasagnaMy Profile

    1. Thank you! I definitely feel ya! I just finished my ER rotation not too long ago and the physicians I was working with were shuffling schedules so each of them would at least get one shift for one of the holidays/vacations off.

      Thanksgiving was awesome! :] I hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well!

  8. Pinned this! Looks GOOD! Plus I love the photos and the game! What fun! This is such a great idea and I am going to do this with my family when we have our dinner on Sunday night!
    Joely Smith recently posted…What We Wore, Thanksgiving 2014My Profile

    1. Aww, I hope you have a lot of fun! :]! I miss getting together with a bunch of friends and family to play games. Hope you enjoy the pumpkin pie bars too! :D

  9. Those get togethers sound so fun! I hope you still had a happy Thanksgiving even though you didn’t get to go home. These pumpkin bars look delish! Gotta take advantage of pumpkin season before it’s over… Have a great weekend, Farrah!
    genevieve @ gratitude & greens recently posted…Friday, I Am Grateful: American Thanksgiving + The Best Pecan Pie EverMy Profile

    1. I had a lot of fun! :] It was great being able to spend time with some of the people I consider to be my second family! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving as well, and an awesome weekend up ahead! :]

  10. Pumpkin pie is my son’s favorite pie. I’ll have to make these for him and see what he thinks.
    Tami recently posted…What are you thankful for in 2015?My Profile

    1. I hope he likes them! They’re not extremely sweet, since there isn’t a lot of added sweetener, so if he has a super-sweet tooth, you might want to add a teensy bit more!

  11. I’ve never heard of a blind folded pie eating contest! What a tradition :)
    Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Gift Guide Stay Warm & Skirt Sports GiveawayMy Profile

    1. It definitely made things interesting for the audience! Not quite so amusing for the participants though, haha. :P

  12. That looks like so much fun!

    1. Thanks! :D It was!

  13. hmm this sounds pretty good. I might have to give this recipe a try
    Angie B. recently posted…Space Scouts Subscription ReviewMy Profile

    1. Hope you like it if you end up trying it out! :]

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