Pumpkin "Seven Layer" Bars

    Seven layer bars are probably the most delicious desserts on earth. They're nostalgic to me because I remember having them as treats after sports games or at potluck dinners and whoever's mom made them was basically the coolest.

They're moist and sweet with coconut, toffee and chocolate and are soooo damn addicting.....

And then we added pumpkin.

And then I cried tears of joy.

And then came heartburn.

Oh my god so gooey and perfect....
(Don't let the heartburn deter you from making these....)

          The addition of pumpkin is perfect for the season, of course. It adds a new element to the traditional bar, and I guess we can pretend that it makes them healthier to eat. A little butter never hurt anyone, right?! Trust me it's worth every. single. calorie.

          Also, they're easy to make gluten free! I used my favorite gluten free ginger snaps (well the only ones I've ever had) as the crust, which I've used before in Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bites.

       What's nice about these seven layer bars is that they're pretty flexible. You can use whatever you'd like for the crust, from graham crackers to wafers to ginger snaps, and then top it with whatever type of chocolate chip, candy or nut that you want. I also like to go heavy on the coconut, but that's just me! Just choose ingredients that you think pair well with pumpkin :)

       This recipe is also a blessing in disguise because it only uses 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, leaving me with the majority of a can leftover. I guess this means you can expect another pumpkin recipe coming up real soon...... (Which probably would have happened regardless)

       Make sure to let them cool completely before cutting. I know it's hard because I broke that rule myself, but letting them set makes a difference and you're suppose to eat them cool or room temp. If you eat them warm they are pretty gooey - but then again, I'm not sure gooey is necessarily a bad thing ;)






Pumpkin Seven Layer Bars
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (or ginger snaps, etc - gluten free if necessary)
6 tbsp melted butter
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup toffee bits
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix together crushed graham crackers with melted butter and press into bottom of 9x9 pan.
Layer chocolate chips, toffee and nuts over crust.
Mix together sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg and pour over top.
Top with shredded coconut.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Let cool before cutting.








Recipe adapted from www.alattefood.com