Recipe ReDux Post # 75: Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt Mini Sandwiches

The Recipe Redux for October is "Fresh From the Pumpkin Patch," so as you can guess, we were asked to create recipes using pumpkin of course! Gabby wanted to work on the recipe with me and had recently seen a picture of an ice cream sandwich so she asked if we could somehow combine mesh the pumpkin theme with some sort of ice cream sandwich as well. Our first thought was to use pumpkin ice cream but we realized we wanted to try something healthier than that.  After brainstorming we came up with making a protein bar type base with pumpkin puree and putting pumpkin yogurt in the middle which came out delicious! These mini ice cream sandwiches packed with whole grains, healthy fat and a decent amount of protein to not only satisfy a sweet craving for dessert or enjoy a treat-like snack...but they can even be eaten for breakfast, which we'd like to think is a game changer.  We hope you will try them out along with all the other pumpkin inspired creations brought to you by the recipe redux crew.

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy or crunchy unsalted natural almond butter (I used Trader Joes Raw Unsalted Crunchy)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup  
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup oats (old fashioned, not quick, use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
¾ cup of unflavored protein powder *

2 six ounce containers of flavored Greek Yogurt, at least partially pre-frozen in the freezer for a few hours (vanilla or pumpkin work well)
Wax or parchment paper

8 x 8 inch pan

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, pie spice and salt and mix well.  

Stir in the protein powder and oats and mix some more. Divide the dough mixture in half. Take one half of the dough mixture, and press it into a square to fit a 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Lift the paper to remove the dough square and set aside. 

Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough (lining it with parchment and pressing it into a square to fit a 8 by 8 inch pan.  Take the partially frozen yogurt out of the freezer and spread it on top of the dough in the pan to evenly coat.  

Carefully take to dough square previously set aside and put it on top of the yogurt topped dough to make a sandwich.  Cover with parchment and put in the freezer for 4-5 hours.

* I have had great success with using Nature’s Best Isopure Perfect Natural Protein Powder unflavored- it is gluten-free, lactose free

Makes 16 mini sandwiches

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe Calories 197 Protein 9 g Carb 12 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 7 g Fat 9  g Saturated fat <1 g="" sodium="" span="" style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 51 mg