Snack: Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Whip up a quick and easy dessert with a recipe for moist Pumpkin Bars topped with tangy cream cheese frosting.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Nuts, Walnuts

Health and fertility benefits of Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss.

Ingredients

2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
4 eggs
1 16-oz. can of pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil.
Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix well.
Stir in half of the chopped pecans.
Spread the mix into an ungreased 15"x10"x1" cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the bars and let cool completely while you prepare the frosting.
Make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla.
Gradually add the sifted powder sugar to the cream cheese mixture.
Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans.

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