Best Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – High Protein

Actually the best, most moist Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting made with protein powder instead of sugar! They’re low fat and sugar free and will get you hooked.

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What better way to celebrate the cozy vibes of fall than with a delicious treat that captures the essence of the season but also aligns with your health-conscious choices?
These healthy protein pumpkin cream cheese bars are just what you need – a wholesome twist on a classic favorite that’s low in fat and completely sugar-free. 

They’re moist and perfectly spiced and just so perfect you will want more and more!

Ingredients for Best Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting:

This recipe for high protein pumpkin bars is made with a few simple ingredients; It’s got whole wheat pastry flour, uses protein powder as a sweetener and no oil or butter!

• Whey-Casein Vanilla Protein Powder: For a pumpkin bar recipe with no sugar; I used Quest Nutrition Vanilla
• Pumpkin Puree – not pumpkin pie filling!
• Pumpkin Cheesecake flavor Almond Butter – I use the one from American Dream Nut Butter (code HAYLSKITCHEN gives you a discount). It’s lower fat and higher protein than normal, and just amazing .
  ADNB has other flavors that would work well here too
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Almond Butter Powder from PB2 is the one I used. PB powder also would work.
• Zero Calorie Sugar Free Brown Sugar Replacement: I used Lakanto brown monk fruit sweetener (code HAYLSKITCHEN gets you a discount here)
• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Baking Soda
• Egg and Egg Whites

For the Cream Cheese Protein Frosting on these Protein Pumpkin Squares:

• Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
• Vanilla Protein Powder for high protein frosting; I used Quest Nutrition Vanilla.

How to make The Best Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting using Protein Powder

This recipe makes the best moist pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting that are to die for! They use protein powder, but its super easy to make; Here’s the steps to get it right:

1. Whisk all dry ingredients: protein powder, flour, coconut flour, almond butter powder, sweetener, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda.
   Note: Use whey-casein protein powder since It works well with the ratio of ingredients in this healthy pumpkin bar dessert recipe.
   Whey-casein absorbs more liquid, and whey absorbs less, so you need to adjust the liquid accordingly.

2. Whisk all wet ingredients – pumpkin puree, milk, almond butter, egg, egg white.

3. Add dry mix into wet and fold batter with spatula until combined.
   Don’t over-mix the batter!
   Pour the dry mix into the wet along with the milk and just gently fold them together. Don’t over-mix it or too much gluten will develop, which will make the bars gummy and dense.
   
4. Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener. I’d recommend using stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have sugar free pumpkin bar recipe.

4. Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350F.
   Don’t over-bake the cake bars will get tough; Remove when the tester/knife comes out just dry, but moist.

5. Let cake cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt.

6. Whisk cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
   Microwave cream cheese to soften for about 10 seconds if it is straight out of the fridge.

7. Add protein powder and mix until smooth.
   Use whey-casein protein powder since it mixes well with the yogurt.
   Add milk if necessary; Mix the frosting well first, and then add milk if still too dry.
   Taste to see if it needs additional sweetener. Add stevia if needed.

How to store Protein Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars?

This protein cream cheese pumpkin bars recipe keeps really well as a meal prep snack or dessert. Store pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for a few hours and for 4 or 5 days in the fridge.

To freeze, slice healthy cream cheese pumpkin bars, wrap in plastic wrap, and place the pieces in a freezer-safe zipper bag. You can even store the whole slab itself!
Thaw before eating.

Alternatives for Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting and No Sugar!

For the perfect healthy pumpkin bar recipe with no sugar, I used protein powder to replace the sugar. I really would recommend using the ingredients and brands listed, but here’s some healthy alternatives you can try.

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Use All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in the same amount by weight not cups.
• Coconut Flour: ⅓ cup more Flour or Oat Flour
• Almond Butter Powder: Use Peanut Butter Powder
• Pumpkin Cheesecake flavor Almond Butter: Regular Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Cashew Butter, Hazelnut Butter or even Tahini
• Almond Milk: Regular Low Fat Milk
• Greek Yogurt: Coconut Yogurt
• Low Fat Cream Cheese: Regular Cream Cheese

More Frosted Protein Bar Recipes to Try:

• Healthy Peanut Butter Bacon Bars
• Turtle Protein Bars
• Cosmic Blondie Protein Bars
• Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Protein Bars

More High Protein Pumpkin Recipes:

• Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Muffins
• Fat Free Protein Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Protein French Toast Bake
• Protein Pumpkin Roll
• Pumpkin Protein Cake Pops