Cinnamon Quest Bar Cake with Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Cinnamon Quest Bar Cake with Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling.

Autumn is still a few weeks away, but I'm already in the mood for some delicious pumpkin recipes. I absolutely LOVE pumpkin and it really is incredibly healthy. One cup of pumpkin has only 80 calories, 1 gram fat, 18 grams carbs, 4 grams protein, 600% Daily Value of Vitamin A. Who knew the unpretentious jack-o-lantern was a nutritional powerhouse!

Gluten-Free Goodness

As much as I love all things pumpkin, and to be perfectly honest, especially desserts, the challenge for me is two-fold. First, I need my pumpkin recipes to be gluten-free. I don't have anything against wheat for the rest of the world, but I personally cannot tolerate it. This rules out traditional pumpkin pies, breads, cakes, etc. Secondly, I don't mind treats but I also don't want to waste a zillion calories on any dessert, pumpkin or otherwise. Finding a healthy variation to a traditional favorite is always a perk.

Recently some very decadent pumpkin recipes have been floating around Facebook. I took that as a challenge to create a pumpkin recipe that tasted great, was gluten free, and wouldn't use up my entire day's allotment of calories.

I decided to experiment with my favorite Quest Protein Bars and a brand new mini Bundt pan from Target. Upon baking, the Quest bar was soft and cakelike. However, as it cooled it became quite crispy, like a very crunchy cinnamon cookie. The filling is similar to a no-bake cheesecake recipe, but it is sweetened with a little stevia and flavored with pumpkin pie spice. Lastly, I am all about SIMPLE, and this recipe is a snap to create.

Cinnamon Quest Bar Mini Bundt Cakes with Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cinnamon Roll Quest Protein Bar

1 oz. light cream cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 packet stevia

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

4 pecan halves, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare filling: Place softened cream cheese in a bowl and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and stevia. Mix thoroughly. Add the pumpkin and stir until mixture is smooth. Place in refrigerator while baking mini cakes.

Prepare mini cakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray mini bundt pan with cooking spray.

Place Quest Bar on plate and heat in the microwave on high for approximately 15 seconds until soft and pliable. Cut into two pieces. Press each piece into a section of the mini Bundt pan.

Bake for approximately 4 minutes. Remove pan from oven and, using a rounded teaspoon, gently press down the center of the cakes. (The cakes will rise while baking and you will lose the depression in the center for the filling.)

Return the cakes to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Again, use the rounded teaspoon to hollow out the center of the cakes. Let cakes cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and place on cooling rack.

When cakes are completely cooled, fill each with half of the pumpkin cheesecake filling. Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired.