One of the best things about fall is the addition of pumpkin flavors to all my favorite things. I started drinking pumpkin frappuchinos the day they started selling them. This sadly led to me getting a little sick of pumpkin a little too early before Thanksgiving. These bars however brought me back.
I started with a bagged pumpkin bar mix.
I wasn't sure if they were cake like or cookie like but I took a chance on hoping they were more like cookies. I wanted to add a little something else to the bars, and luckily I was able to kill two birds with one stone on this one. I bought this trail mix from trader Joe's a while back but didn't really like the saltiness it had. Luckily the flavors matched well with pumpkin so I threw it in the mix!
I actually picked out the macadamia nuts because there were so many almonds already in the mix. I gave the mix a chop to make pea sized pieces. Look at those autumn colors!
I mixed the bagged mix and threw the trail mix in at the end. The dough is going to be pretty stiff, so if you're using your kitchen aid just mix on a low speed until combined.
The only pan I had on hand ended up being a cake round but it worked out pretty well. Grease the pan and press the dough down a little.
Bake as directed, 350 degrees until golden brown.
I then cut the bars into squares and added a simple powered sugar icing on top.
The mix also suggests you use a cream cheese frosting which I'm sure is delicious too! The nice thing about these bars with the addition is it tones down the pumpkin to a subtle flavor, instead of the in your face flavor they have without. These are some bars I will definitely make again!
