Paleo Pumpkin Bars

Yes, 'tis the season...for the infamous #psl (and all of the artificial cancerous caramel color it contains)...and pumpkin EVERY-thaaaang. I decided to get creative last night and make some pumpkin bars...until, to my surprise, Whole Foods was literally completely OUT of canned pumpkin. Whaaaa? Too many chickees must be high on this pumpkin bandwagon. Was I gonna let that stop me? No sir. How about a kabocha/butternut bar? #giveittome. They turned out fabulous....and today I decided to give it a shot with a different crust, mostly because I want to bring a client of mine a treat to tomorrow's session....and she's got major nut allergies.

Filling
1 1/2 cups of whatever kind of squash you want
1/4 cup coconut milk (or lite...it works just fine too)
2 eggs
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


Crust Option 1:
10 pitted dates
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup walnuts
1 Tbsp water
sprinkle of salt

*blend all together until a paste is created

Crust Option 2:
10 pitted dates
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 Tbsp water
sprinkle of salt

*blend all together until a paste is created


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend all of your crust ingredients together (yay Vitamix!). Remove and spread evenly over a greased (coconut oil and/or parchment paper lined) 8x8 baking dish. Clean the blender thoroughly, then add in all of your filling ingredients, and let 'er rip until it is nice and smooth. Pour Filling over your crust, spread evenly over your crust. Put in the oven and bake 35-40 minutes, or until firm (go ahead and use the toothpick method, making sure it comes out clean).
Here's the tough part...COOL COMPLETELY! Be patient. I set mine, in the baking dish, on the cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then, removed, cut, and let continue to cool a bit longer. Quite delicious!

PS you can also make the filling alone,
put it in a single serving dish of your choice, and
make a delicious custard for yourself as well.
I looooove a personal dessert dish