Squash Chocolate Chunk Bars
Dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free
One reason why I picked this apartment was because it was so close to this great little farm stand. I am a sucker for anything farm-related. You get to see all the produce change with the seasons, snag locally made pantry staples, milks, cheeses and meet fun people.
My fondness for farms probably comes from my experience with a farm. I don’t know if my parents went through a hippy phase when I was little, but I did my first year (yes, I did it twice) of kindergarten on a farm. That is right, my school house was also a farm house. Our recess was spent wandering the apple orchards, petting the pot belly pig, picking broccoli and eating it right there in the field. To this day, farms (and apple orchards) just make me happy.
One of my favorite seasons on a farm is fall. I love the bounty of apples, winter greens and, of course, all the gourds. Squash is so underrated. They are each have a unique flavor and texture, but all are delicious. When fall comes, I will have squash, in some form, for dinner every night.
Many of my favorite ways to enjoy squash is in dessert form. Enter: squash chocolate chunk bars.
Yes, fall desserts are usually of the pumpkin variety, but, in my opinion, pumpkin is not the yummiest. Butternut or honeynut squashes have a much sweeter, mellow earthiness than pumpkin. You may have to put in the extra work to make the squash puree, but it is worth it.
Squash Puree
OK, you can definitely use a can of pumpkin puree for this recipe, but I seriously recommend you try the squash. If you can’t find canned butternut squash puree (some Whole Foods stores carry it), make your own.
Buy a medium butternut squash, slice off the top stem and the bottom button (that little circle at the bottom that looks like a stem stump). Slice the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place the halves slice side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425F oven for 30-35 minutes, until soft. While the squash are still hot (but cool enough to hold) scrape the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Blend on high until a smooth puree forms. Boom. You have squash puree. Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Flour Mix
For this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free measure-for-measure flour mix. It is the best one that I have found, but there is one downside: it has xanthan gum in it. Gum aside, it is seriously the best replacement for wheat flour. You can buy an all purpose gluten-free flour mix from Bob’s Red Mill that does not have xanthan gum. If you use this mix, I recommend adding 1 tsp of potato starch.
You can also use a mixture of three of my favorite gluten-free staples: oat flour, almond flour and tapioca flour. The ratio I recommend is 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup tapioca flour. This will give you a bit of a denser bar, but they’re still delicious.
Toppings and Mix-in’s
I prefer to add chocolate to everything. It is just what I do. Sometime chocolate cannot really seem all that seasonally festive. What else can you add to these bars?
Peel, core and finely chop and apple, lightly coat it in flour and add to the squash batter.
Add roasted, chopped pecans to the mix for crunch. Sprinkle some on the top and them top with raw cane sugar for crisp top.
Got fresh cranberries? Wash them, toss them lightly in flour and mix into the batter. The tartness of the cranberries are a great foil to the sweet, earthiness of these bars. Cranberries AND chocolate are a dream combo here.
The possibilities are endless really. Get baking!
Recipe
150g squash puree (I used honeynut, but pumpkin or butternut squash purees are both great)
60g (1/4 cup) olive oil
155g (1 cup) coconut sugar
2 large eggs
2g (3/4 tsp) pumpkin pie spice
Big pinch of sea salt
200g (1 1/4 cups) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (you can also use oat flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
105g (1/2 cup) chocolate chunks (or any mix-in’s you like; see note above)
Preheat your oven to 350F and liberally grease a 9inch square baking dish. Line with parchment paper and grease again.
In a large bowl, combine the squash puree, olive oil and coconut sugar. Whisk together until combined and smooth. Add the eggs and whisk again to incorporate.
Add the flour, salt, spice and baking soda to the squash mixture and use the whisk to combine. The whisk will help to break down any clumps in the flour. Then use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chunks (saving some to sprinkle on the stop).
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and top with those chunks of chocolate you held back.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the center is set. You’ll know it is done when you touch it lightly and it springs back.
Let it cool completely before slicing. These bars are somewhere between a cake and a blondie. They are a great dessert, maybe an after-work snack or even breakfast (why not).