Pumpkin Protein Bars Link

Using the Sparkpeople recipe calculator I entered in my changes to the protein bar recipe and then submitted it. So here is the link to the page. http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=134021 My own review on the recipe...yummy but with an artificial sweetener aftertaste. I don't know if this comes from the brown sugar replacement or from the coffee syrups. For the original recipe I used a higher-calorie maple syrup made with maltitol so it had a different aftertaste and definitely sugar alcohols. Plus, I wanted the extra fiber and health benefits from the flax seed so that is now calculated in the recipe. If you don't like that of course you could leave it out. These bars came out moister and chewier than the originals but that is ok. I think it would be yummy (but more calories!!!) to add in some diced pecans and dried cranberries. However, I don't want the extra flavour badly enough to use up the extra calories. LOL Oh, also...I made the bars smaller since they are so hard to eat in one sitting anyway. That easily allowed for the extra calories from the flax seed and still left them big enough for a complete meal. (at least for my pouch!) Molly

Yummm...where do you buy the flaxseed? Diana

In all our local grocery stores (even the military commissary) we have a section of Bob's Red Mill products with really interesting 'healthy' type baking aids. These products are normally located in the baking aisle but some stores have them in the health-food type section and our commissary has them with the diet foods. Go figure. This brand has the whole flax seed as well as the pre-ground flaxseed meal. I buy the seed and grind it myself in a coffee mill since I know how fre**** is then. (Also I keep the seed in the freezer since it contains healthy oils and don't want it to spoil.) Molly

I replied on another post to you.. I made these just substituted 1 cup of cinnamon dolce syrup.. wow yum.. I got about 20 frozen in the freezer, of course my husband has already dipped in the stash so have I. Been so busy forgot the eats post all... sorry about that. I will be better next week!

PS...I just got an e-mail from DaVinci and they say there are 15 calories in 8 ounces of the Pumpkin Pie Spice sugar free syrup so I presume that most of their sugar free syrups must be about the same amount. Since the one cup of syrup is spread through that whole panful of protein bars I'm not going to worry about it. Molly

This is very good to know though Molly! Thanks so much!

Hi, Molly! I was wondering if the bars could be used as a "crust" for a SF pudding pie? Maybe pulse the bars w/ some almonds, blue bonnet, and splenda, if needed. I was thinking of mixing some pumpkin into SF vanilla pudding so that I could have a dessert for the holidays. I think that regular pumpkin pie would be a problem...plus low nutrition calories from the crust. Any thoughts? Ro P.S. DH said that the yams, blue bonnet, and caramel Davinci reminded him of sweet potato pie. Yummmmm!!!

No, I think it would add too many calories. There are many other ways to create a crust if you have to have a crust. BUT... be sure to try out PK's recipe first before you start experimenting. I tried it and made a few mistakes (substituted egg beaters for the eggs was a bad idea, didn't follow the baking instructions carefully enough and overbaked them and used splenda brown sugar instead of sugar twin...came out ok but prob. messed up the calorie count significantly). Even with all that I did wrong to these little 'pies' (and I don't see why it couldn't be made in a regular pie pan) they are still delicious! Especially with a splash of sugar free whipped cream on top. Oh yum! Even my son and husband have been dipping into them. I'll get Susan Maria's recipe bookmarked for you too, she usually has it up on her site year round for holiday planning. I am definitely going to make that one this year too. Although, I have made the Libby's pumpkin pie in the past with egg beaters, nonfat canned milk and splenda and it was very good. You just have to remember not to eat the regular crust unless you make a diet crust. TTYT! Molly