Day 161 - Sweet Things

So, my sweet and amazing husband made this fabulous pumpkin bar thing by Krusteaz.  It was awesome.  I have never had anything like that before, and honestly - prior to this challenge, I never would have tried it.  It was super yummy.  The nutritional info is not horrible if you stick to just one square inch (1 serving).  The ingredients are not remotely clean.  This led me to do a search for something similar that maybe I could make that would be clean.  I found something at The Gracious Pantry ... the recipe will be at end.

Meanwhile, I also tried a new kind of sugar.  I am trying to avoid any and all artificial sweeteners.  Sugar is not a trigger food for me, and I do not really have a problem with sugar - but when I do need it - I want something as clean as possible.  I found something called Organic Turbinado Sugar.  I have never heard of this before, but it was on clearance for half price, so I got some.  The ingredients are organic raw cane sugar.  Simple enough.  It was fine.  Again, I don't need it a lot - but it is good for serving a purpose.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Spice Protein Bars  (Makes 15 bars)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick oats (the 3 minute kind)
1 cup peanut butter (I use creamy)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup pumpkin (I used canned and organic)
1/2 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)
1 cup whey protein powder
2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (no sugar added)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 1 – Roast your oats for 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet (Or until they turn a nice golden brown). Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Step 2 – Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Step 3 – Spread dough to 1/2 inch thickness in a baking dish or 1/2 sized cookie sheet.

Step 4 – Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough has a nice golden brown appearance.

Step 5 – Allow to cool. Slice into bars and store in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag.