Paleo Pumpkin Protein Bars
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Snacks
Yield: 6 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned, just make sure it’s completely smooth)
  • ½ cup maple syrup (substitute honey for GAPS)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger*
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg* (omit for AIP)
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin
  • 1-2 tablespoons grass-fed collagen hydrolysate/peptides (optional, to increase protein content)
  • * can substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, if tolerated
Instructions
  1. line a small baking dish (8x8 works well) with parchment paper (or grease with coconut oil, but I highly recommend using parchment paper for this)
  2. add coconut milk, maple syrup, spices, vanilla and sea salt to a medium sized saucepan and warm over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
  3. add in the pumpkin puree and stir until fully incorporated with the coconut milk, approximately 2-3 minutes (remove any stubborn clumps of pumpkin and discard)
  4. increase heat to medium-medium/high and whisk until almost reaching a boil and then remove from heat
  5. Add in desired amount of collagen, if using, and whisk
  6. Add in gelatin 1 tablespoon at a time very slowly while constantly whisking to avoid gelatin clumps. The easiest method is to whisk with your dominant hand and sprinkle gelatin with your other hand (it feels like a mini work-out, but is worth it! Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender for this part if you have one). Whisk an extra 30 seconds after the last of the gelatin is added.
  7. Pour into prepared baking dish and place in fridge until set, approximately 1-2 hours. Cut into bars and enjoy! Store bars in the fridge until ready to eat them.
Notes
To turn these into pumpkin spice latte protein bars, simply add 1 cup of your favorite brewed coffee to the coconut milk at the start of the recipe and then increase the gelatin to 5 tablespoons instead of 4 OR add 1 shot espresso to coconut milk at start and leave the rest of the recipe as is.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅙ of recipe Calories: 262 Fat: 16 g Saturated fat: 14.1 g Unsaturated fat: 1.9 g Trans fat: 0 g Carbohydrates: 25.5 g Sugar: 19.4 g Sodium: 81 mg Fiber: 3.1 g Protein: 7.5 g Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe by Create Delicious at https://createdelicious.com/paleo-pumpkin-protein-bars/