Servings: 6 Bars
Kabocha Squash Bars
These warmly-spiced kabocha squash bars are grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free. Simple to prepare, this easy dessert is a marvelous celebration of winter squash season.
Equipment
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil or 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ tsp sea salt
Kabocha Squash Filling:
- 2 cups cooked kabocha squash
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
Roast the Kabocha Squash:
- Follow my instructions for roasted kabocha squash. Perform this step far enough in advance that that squash has enough time to cool to room temperature or lower. I like making it a few days in advance and refrigerating the mashed kabocha squash in an airtight container. Once cooled, mash the kabocha squash flesh (discarding the skin) and measure out 2 cups worth to reserve for these bars.
Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the almond flour crust in a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Press the crust mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Poke the crust with a fork several times.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown.
Make the Bars:
- While the crust is baking, prepare the kabocha squash pie filling.
- Transfer all of the ingredients for the kabocha squash filling to a blender and blend until smooth. Note: you can also use a mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer to mix the ingredients.
- Pour the kabocha squash filling into the prepared pie crust and cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake on the center rack for 45-55 minutes, or until the center appears mostly set up but still has a slight jiggle.
- Let the bars cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Pull up on the parchment paper to release the full batch of bars and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut individual bars.
- Serve as is, or with a scoop of ice cream or fresh homemade whipped cream.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Bar (of 6), Calories: 428kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 211mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 27g