Gluten Free Pumpkin Squares - Vegan

A friend shared a recipe with me last week that he thought I might like.  It was for Pumpkin Crumble by Ilene Godofsky.  Sometimes when I look at a recipe I know I'll want to change it without even trying it the original way and that is what I did with hers.

What follows is loosely based off of her recipe. I have altered it in several ways such as adding more spices, adding nuts and omitting the salt.  I like the way it turned out.  And have now made it twice.  A good excuse for using the rest of the can of pumpkin puree.

GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN SQUARES

INGREDIENTS:

FOR BASE:

1-1/2 cups Quick or Rolled Oats

1/2 cup Almond Flour or Almond Meal (ground almonds)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

1/3 cup Pure Maple Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla

FOR FILLING:

3/4 cup organic Pumpkin Puree (about half a can)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 350˚ F (176˚C) and prepare an 8x8 square glass dish with non-stick cooking spray. Or as I did, use a smaller rectangle stoneware pan.

2.  In medium bowl combine the oats, almond meal, cinnamon, baking soda and nuts.  Set aside.

3.  In small microwaveable bowl measure coconut oil.  Microwave for about 15 seconds to soften.  Add maple syrup and vanilla.  Stir to mix as best you can.

4.  Add coconut oil mixture to oat mixture and stir to combine.  Set aside.

5.  In the bowl you used for the coconut oil, mix pumpkin puree with maple syrup, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Set aside.

6.  In prepared baking dish, press one half of the oat mixture.  Make sure to press it evenly on the bottom of the pan.  Spread with the pumpkin mixture.  

7.  Top with remaining oat mixture by dropping by hand and sprinkling evenly.  This will not coat the entire pumpkin layer.  You should see some of the pumpkin.  Press down gently.

(Ready for the oven)

8.  Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.  My oven takes 23 minutes to be golden brown.

(Out of the oven and cooling)

(Look at the crispy oat goodness)

Cool on wire rack and cut into squares or rectangles and enjoy.

- Bon Appetit

" Instead of doing cinnamon, nutmeg and all those baking spices, I'll have one spice that's for sweets, and that's pumpkin pie spice." - Sandra Lee

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