Pumpkin Seed Bars

Earlier this week I asked on Instagram which recipe you’d like to see first—Apple Pie Ice Cream, Pumpkin Muffins, or Pumpkin Seed Bars. The bars won by a landslide! Ice cream and muffin fans don’t despair—the other recipes are coming up right behind! Also in the works at a Pappa al Pomodoro soup and a Pumpkin Quinoa chili. We have been cooking up a storm here! I’m hoping to experiment with a no bake pumpkin pie this weekend, and some Christmas Cookies for Keepin’ It Kind’s cookie swap later this month. And finally, I did my test run on my Virtual Vegan Potluck dish last night. The VVP is happening on December 13. Wow—that’s a lot of recipes to work on—and I’m excited to share each one! But for now, let’s enjoy the Pumpkin Seed Bars!

It’s been a long time since I made any of my homemade Lara-ish bars, so I decided to make a quick batch last week. I was headed to my monthly Moms’ Night In with my church friends, and we always bring dishes to share. In my group we have gluten free, paleo, and vegan mom(s), so I like to bring something that works for all of the “alternative eaters.” These totally hit the spot.

The leftovers were gobbled up by hungry 2 and 3 year olds at a playdate just the other day—there are crumbs throughout my entire house to prove it! These are sure to be a hit with everyone! They’d also make a great treat to bring along if you’re traveling over the holidays too! Or keep a batch on hand to snack on Thanksgiving Day while you’re waiting for the main event—for some reason my family doesn’t eat all day, even though our meal is at 5 or 6, so we are always starving! Best of all, they’re nut free, so they are allergy friendly. You can whip these up in your food processor in about 5 minutes—enjoy!

Pumpkin Seed Bars
a few pieces of candied ginger (maybe 1-2 T once chopped, sub 1/4 t ground ginger if you don’t have candied ginger)
½ c dried cranberries, divided
15 dates (200 g)
¼ c sunflower seeds (I used the toasted ones from Trader Joes for more flavor!)
¾ c pumpkin seeds (I used the toasted ones of these too from Trader Joes for more flavor!)
1 c shredded coconut
2 T coconut oil
1 t vanilla
½ t of cinnamon
pinch of salt (omit if you use salted seeds)

Break up the ginger in your food processor until it is in small chunks—you don’t want to bite into a huge piece of ginger. Add dates, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, half of the cranberries, and coconut. Pulse together until it is a crumbly mixture, starting to stick together. Add coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and pulse again. Add the remaining cranberries and pulse to incorporate, leaving large enough pieces to add color to the bars.

Press mixture into an 8×8 inch pan, lined in each direction with parchment paper (like a cross). You might need to wet your hands to keep your hands from sticking! Place in the freezer to firm up for 10-30 minutes (or longer, it’s fine). Remove from freezer once set and cut into squares, triangles, or bars. Store in fridge. Enjoy!