Pumpkin Magic Bars
Serves: 9 medium or 16 Small Squares
 
Ingredients
  • 1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk, about 1⅔ cups
  • ½ cup coconut sugar, cane sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 crackers pulverized in a food processor)
  • 6 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, Grade A or Grade B
  • 1 cup dried dates, pitted and diced (or omit dates and increase sugar to ⅔ cup)
  • 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¾ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (coconut oil is fine) an 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking dish and line it with unbleached parchment paper.
  2. Prepare condensed coconut milk. Pour coconut milk and coconut sugar into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat at a low simmer. Do not allow to boil over. Simmer on medium-low heat for 12-14 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly. You want it to reduce to about 1⅓ cups. If you reduce it less, no problem.
  3. Once milk is condensed, whisk in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until well combined. Remove from heat to cool.
  4. Prepare graham cracker crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press down firmly, making an even layer. The better you press the crust, the better it will hold together.
  5. Pour condensed coconut milk mixture over the crust. Sprinkle on the diced dates and then the chocolate chips, followed by the coconut and then the pecans. Press the mixture down lightly with your hands so that all the toppings stick to the layer underneath.
  6. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack for approximately 30 minutes. Set bars in the freezer for 2 hours or the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. If put in the freezer, bars will need to be defrosted before eating. Store in the refrigerator wrapped well, for up to one week.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/pumpkin-magic-bars/