H3 Healthy Pumpkin Spice Energy Bar

In the H3 Healthy Kitchen, we love creating recipes using the tastes and flavors of the season. Now that fall is here, it is officially pumpkin season! Everything seems to be pumpkin flavored in the fall. However, all of these popular pumpkin recipes also seem to be unhealthy, processed and filled with sugar. They're sure to leave you feeling tired and groggy. Not our H3 Pumpkin Spiced Energy Bars! These bars prove that Pumpkin Spice can be healthy! This Healthy Pumpkin Spice fall inspired energy bar will keep you feeling good throughout a busy day.



Ingredients:

3 cups Pumpkin, canned

3 scoops Vanilla whey protein powder

3/4 cup Flax seed, ground

3 cups Oats

3 tablespoons Cinnamon, ground

1 1/2 teaspoons Nutmeg, ground

1 1/2 teaspoons Clove, ground

1 teaspoon Salt

1/3 cup Honey

¾ cup Dark chocolate chips

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°.


• In a large mixing bowl, combine the: protein powder, flax, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and clove.


• In a separate mixing bowl combine the pumpkin and honey.


• Then combine the dry mixture and the wet pumpkin mixture; fold in the chocolate chips.


• Lightly spray a ½ sheet tray with non-stick spray then evenly spread batter.


• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly toasted on top.


• Remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into 30 servings.


• Store bars in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, otherwise freeze.

Chef’s Note: 

Serves: 30

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories: 100

Fat: 3.5 grams

We hope that you enjoy this healthy spin on pumpkin spice! What's your favorite fall recipe?

Turkey Day Recipe Countdown: Spiced Pumpkin Mousse

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces Fat free cream cheese

16 ounces Whipped topping, sugar free and dairy free

1/2 cup Confectioners sugar 

1/2 cup Pumpkin, unsweetened

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ginger, ground

1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground

1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

PREPARATION:

• In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg until smooth.


• Fold in thawed whipped topping.


• Refrigerate, freeze, or continue to make a Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Pie. 

*Chef's Note:  This is great on its own or served as a Spiced Pumpkin Mousse Pie using the H3 Cream Cheese Pie Dough.  

Servings: 16

Calories: 80

Fat: 1.5 grams

H3 Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Cake

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup Canola oil

1 each Egg

1 ounce Egg beaters

2 cups            Pumpkin puree

1 ½ cups Sugar

2 ½ cups All purpose flour

2/3 cup Non-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, pure

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground

1 teaspoon Allspice, ground

1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon Cloves, ground

¼ teaspoon Salt

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces Fat free cream cheese

½ cup Confectioners sugar

½ cup Skim milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, pure

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 350° F


• In mixing bowl, add all wet ingredients together


• In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients


• Slowly add dry mix to wet mix, and mix until all ingredients are well combined.


• Spray baking pan, or cup cake pans, with non-stick cooking spray.


• Then, use ¼ cup scoops for each cup cake or if making a full cake, just spread batter in the bottom of the pan evenly.


• Bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes for the cake and 15-20 minutes for the cup cake tins.


•  When done, put on counter to cool for five minutes.  Then, invert the pan and flip cake or take cup cakes out. 


• When cooled, cut through the center of the cakes the long way, take off the top.  Then spread fat free cream cheese frosting over each mini cake or the full cake.


• Then top with fat free cool whip or whipped topping.  (Optional).

 

Number of Servings: 18 cup cakes or 1/18 piece

Serving Size: 1 each, ½ cup cooked

Calories: 150 w/o frosting, 180 with

Fat Grams: 3.5 w/o frosting, 4 with

A Crunchy Treat

When you carve a scary face into your jack-o-lantern, make sure to save the seeds! 

Pumpkin seeds are low in fat and rich in zinc and protein, but when mixed with sweet-hot-salty syrup and baked until crunchy they do become rather addictive so be sure to follow the portion size!  A few scattered on a salad go a long way.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Demerara (raw) sugar

¼ cup water

½ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups raw organic pumpkin seeds

PREPARATION:

- Heat oven to 400°.

- Combine first five ingredients in a sauce pot and gently simmer to a light caramel

- Stir in pumpkin seeds

- Spread seeds thinly on a spray-oiled baking sheet and place in hot oven for 10 minutes

- Remove from oven and stir seeds with a broad, flat, metal spatula, pulling seeds from the edges of the pan to the middle and the middle to the edges to help evenly brown

- Return pan to oven and bake 5-10 minutes longer until seeds are vigorously bubbling, watch carefully

- Remove from oven and stir again.  The stirring causes crystallization

- Scatter seeds onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and allow to cool

- When cool break apart

- Store in an air-tight container

 

Number of servings: 24
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 189
Fat: 12 grams
Protein: 8 grams