Pumpkin Pie Bars

Courtesy of https://paleomg.com/ (check out more of her delicious recipes!)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 6 dates, pits removed

• 1 cup almond butter

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

For the Filling:

• 1 (14oz) can pumpkin puree or approximately 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

• ½ cup canned coconut milk

• ¼ cup coconut butter melted to be just a bit soft

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• dash of ground cloves

• Pinch of salt

For the Topping:

• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Let's start with the crust. Add your dates and almond butter to a food processor and pulse until it breaks down together.

3. Then add 2 eggs, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and puree until smooth.

4. Grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with some coconut oil, pour in your crust and use a spoon to smooth evenly.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is firm and cooked through when you poke it with a toothpick.

6. Let cool.

7. While your crust is baking, make your filling ingredients.

8. Add pumpkin puree and all other ingredients and puree until completely smooth.

9. When your crust is cool, top it off with your pumpkin puree filling and smooth out evenly.

10. Lastly, make your topping.

11. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to a small skillet on medium heat and add chopped pecans. These will burn easily, so be careful.

12. While constantly mixing the pecans, add your maple syrup, cinnamon, and a bit of salt and continue to stir until pecans have roasted a bit, about 3-4 minutes.

13. Pour pecans on top of pumpkin puree filling.

14. Cool in refrigerator for 30+ minutes.

15. Cut and serve. Keep in fridge to keep from losing shape.