Paleo Pumpkin Fudge Bars

Are you looking for a holiday treat that is chock full of protein and healthy fat, yet tastes every bit as decadent as your favorite pumpkin pie?  These bars are the perfect way to blend health and pleasure into one perfect bite. Plus, they have the added bonus of our NEW sweet & spicy Ginger Cardamom bar, which adds just the right amount of zing to every satisfying bite.

Paleo Pumpkin Fudge Bars
Recipe by Ivy Entrekin

Crust:
½ cup sprouted almonds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup soft Medjool dates
1 Honey Mama’s Ginger-Cardamom bar, roughly chopped
1 big pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Pumpkin Fudge:
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup virgin coconut oil
½ cup tahini (or your favorite nut/seed butter)
¼ cup raw honey
1 tsp. cardamom powder
½ tsp. ginger powder
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Chocolate Shell:
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 T. honey
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Flaky sea salt

Directions:
Place the almonds and shredded coconut in a food processor and process until the almonds are broken into small bits. Add the Honey Mama’s pieces, dates, and salt; continue processing until the mixture becomes sticky and starts to clump together. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, then press the mixture evenly across the bottom of the loaf pan. Place in the freezer to chill while you make the fudge.

In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over low heat. Add the pumpkin puree and tahini, whisking together until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in the honey, cardamom and salt. Once everything is fully combined, remove crust from freezer, and spread fudge evenly over the top. Place in the refrigerator to chill until fudge firms up, about 3 hours or overnight.

Once fudge is firm, make the chocolate shell layer by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk over low heat until no clumps remain. Quickly pour over fudge and spread evenly. Before the shell hardens completely, sprinkle some flaky salt over the top. Refrigerate for just a few minutes to firm up completely.

Slice bars diagonally into 8 portions. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes:
This recipe is very flexible. You can switch out the almonds for pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc., or substitute your favorite nut/seed butter for the tahini. I’ve used pumpkin pie spice to replace the cardamom & ginger, and they were every bit as delicious. The fudge layer gets very soft at room temperature, so I recommend refrigerating these bars until you are ready to serve them.