Vegan Pumpkin Bars with a Maple Glaze

One of my lesser (or better, depending on your outlook) qualities is my relentless trolling of family and friends. Case in point: a few months ago, my cousin decided to become a vegan. I have nothing against vegans and have considered this lifestyle myself a few times, but I’m such a pain in the ass that I went after him hard, guilting him mercilessly whenever he felt the urge to eat meat, parading an endless line of desserts through my aunt’s house, and just generally being not-so-supportive. He’s a nice human, so he knew I was just kidding, but I promised him I would make him vegan pumpkin bars (he’s a fan of pumpkin-y baked goods) to make up for my trolling.

I didn’t need to look for recipes, since Abby actually sent this one to me months ago. But I didn’t get around to making them until last week, when my cousin was no longer vegan and my pre-Peru schedule was so packed that I didn’t even see him before leaving anyway. (I did get to see Abby though, so at least she got to try the bars that she inspired.)

These bars were my first experience with vegan baking. I’ve had a few vegan sweets in my life, and haven’t liked any of them — the aftertaste and texture have always been very off-putting. Butter, eggs and milk are all staples of baked goods, so it seemed unnatural to make something without them. But it was a challenge, and I’m all about those, so bring on the flax eggs!

Well. Baking these vegan pumpkin bars was an unmitigated disaster. Making the batter went smoothly enough — flax eggs are easy to make, and the instructions are basically dump and stir. But when I baked the bars according to the original recipe’s instructions, the 15-minute baking time yielded bars that were basically raw inside. Being the idiot that I am, I didn’t bother to use a tester, and, seeing a nicely golden top, just pulled the bars out of the oven. #Mistake1

Then, to keep with the vegan theme but afraid of vegan cream cheese, I decided to try a maple glaze on top of the bars. The glaze was easy to whip up but when I drizzled it over my bars, I completely forgot that the bars needed to be completely cooled in order for the glaze to set properly. (Glaze and I have some issues. I’d say we’re working on it, but I don’t really like glazed things anyway, so I’m ok with the situation.) #Mistake2

When I went to slice the bars, a full 30 minutes after I had pulled them out of the oven, I realized that they were completely underbaked. So I stuck the whole pan, glaze and all, back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes, until the bars were thoroughly cooked. The glaze melted into the bars, and hardened into a caramel crust on the sides, which was delicious to eat but impossible to clean. #Mistake3

And if you think it couldn’t get any worse, I also left the bars in the oven overnight (thankfully remembered to turn off the oven!) because I started painting my nails and ended up accidentally watching the saddest episode of Downton Abbey ever. Note to self: never watch sappy shows when your nails are wet and you therefore can’t change the episode. #Mistake4

BUT. Somehow, these bars got decent reviews from all who’ve tried them. I’m a bit skeptical, since I’m still pretty convinced that a flax egg pales in comparison to real eggs, but these are definitely the best vegan baked goods I’ve ever had.

They’re extremely moist (ew.), and taste nutty. Even with the glaze, they’re not overly sweet, which is a major plus. And despite my best efforts, they’re impossible to mess up. With a cup of coffee, they’re a great breakfast or afternoon snack, whether you’re vegan or not.

Vegan Pumpkin Bars with a Maple Glaze
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie and Five Little Peaches

For the vegan pumpkin bars:

– 2 flax “eggs”: 2 tablespoons ground flax seed + 6 tablespoons water

– 1 cup oat flour (or AP or half whole wheat + half AP)

– 2 teaspoons cinnamon

– 1 teaspoon baking powder

– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

– 1/2 teaspoon salt

– 1/4 cup dark brown sugar

– 1 cup canned pumpkin

– 1/4 cup almond milk (or you can use soy milk)

– 1/4 cup canola oil

– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

– 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the glaze:

– 1/2 cup powdered sugar

– 2 tablespoons maple syrup

– 2 teaspoons almond milk

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil a 7-x-11-inch or 8-x-8-inch baking pan.

2) Make the flax egg: in a small bowl, mix together the 2 tablespoons of ground flax and the 6 tablespoons of water. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.

3) In a large bowl, mix together the flax egg (once it’s ready), flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, canned pumpkin, almond milk, canola oil, vanilla extract and chopped walnuts. Stir until just combined. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and smooth out the batter.

4) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top has browned and only a few crumbs stick to a tester when inserted into the center of the bars. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before glazing.

5) While the bars are baking, make the glaze: in a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, maple syrup and almond milk until smooth.

6) Once the bars are cooled, drizzle the glaze over top. Let cool completely before slicing into pieces and serving.