Butternut, in my opinion, is almost as sweet and flavorful as pumpkin–and the rich texture of the nutritious squash adds even more. Personally, I am a bit reckless with fat and will probably add the full-fat cream cheese version to my repertoire, but at least I’ll balance that out by using a non-refined sweetener such as Sucanat, or maybe even maple syrup.
Butternut Cheesecake Bars
INGREDIENTS
9 low-fat graham crackers, (4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (not quick-cooking or steel-cut)
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided (or try one a natural sweetener, read more here)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons non-fat milk
8 ounces non-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchatel), at room temperature
1/2 cup squash puree
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
2. Process graham crackers, oats, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup flour and butter in a food processor until finely ground. Add milk; pulse until completely moistened.
3. Transfer the graham cracker mixture to the prepared pan and evenly pat into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 325. Beat both cream cheeses and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, scraping down the sides occasionally. Beat in squash puree until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in vanilla, cinnamon, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons flour. Scrape the filling into the pan, spreading evenly over the crust.
5. Bake until set and the edges are light brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.
RECIPE TIPS AND NOTES
To make your own squash puree, halve and seed one medium acorn or butternut squash. Place, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven until soft, about 50 minutes. Cool, then scrape out the flesh with a fork. Or simply use frozen (thawed) or canned squash puree. Find frozen squash puree near other vegetables in the freezer section and canned squash near the canned pumpkin.
Servings: 18 bars
Nutrition per bar: 146 calories; 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 1g mono unsaturated fat); 37 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 1 g fiber; 209 mg sodium; 79 mg potassium
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.
Carbohydrate servings: 1.
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