Lightened Up Pumpkin Pie Bars

Whether you’re looking for a lower-calorie way to get your pumpkin fix, or don’t want the hassle of making a pie crust, these lightened-up pumpkin pie bars are packed with fall spices and just a touch of sweetness. 

Lightened Up Pumpkin Pie Bars

Ingredients

For the crust: 

• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 5-6 full sheets)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

For the filling: 

• 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or milk of choice
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (I used 2% fat) 
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
2. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor to form fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a small mixing bowl. 
3. Drizzle butter over the crumbs and mix until well-combined. Pour crumb mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and pat down evenly. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly while you prepare the filling. 
5. In a stand mixer, beat pumpkin, almond milk, yogurt, egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth. Add in brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice and beat again until well-combined. 
6. Pour filling evenly onto pre-baked crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the edges start to lightly brown. 
7. Remove and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Cover and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. When ready to eat, slice into 12 pieces and enjoy! 

Nutrition

Servings 12 |  135 Calories per Serving 

2 g protein; 23 mg cholesterol; 4 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 22 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 16 g sugar; 81 mg sodium

Notes: 

• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, substitute with ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. 
• For graham crackers, I recommend Back to Nature Golden Honey Oat Graham Crackers or Honey Maid Honey Graham Crackers.