Helen’s Pumpkin Bran Bars

Leave it to my mom to make a dessert from Fiber One cereal.

Seriously. My mom travels everywhere with a small ziplock bag of Fiber One in her purse… because you just never know when you might need a bowl of bran. Once, on a trip to Japan, I watched her feed an entire bag of Fiber One to several giant Koi at a Japanese garden. Those fish probably still hate her. Anyway, it wasn’t a huge surprise that the recipe for Pumpkin Bran Bars we’ve been enjoying all weekend came right off the back of the cereal box. The real surprise was how amazing these tasted! Tender, full of cinnamon, and topped with sweetened cream cheese frosting – these Pumpkin Bran Bars were absolutely delicious.

We don’t eat a lot of cold cereal in our house, but I would probably buy a box of Fiber One just to make these. Helen’s Pumpkin Bran Bars are a great alternative to regular pumpkin bread or carrot cake, and good for you, too! Nobody will ever guess they are made with bran cereal.

Helen’s Pumpkin Bran Bars

Recipe type: Dessert

This recipe is adapted from a Fiber One cereal box recipe.

Ingredients

For the Bars:
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups Fiber One cereal, crushed
1 can (2 cups) canned pumpkin
⅔ cup vegetable oil
6 egg whites
1½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup raisins
For the frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a jelly roll pan 15.5″ x 10.5″ x 1″.
Mix sugar, cereal oil and pumpkin in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.
Stir in the egg whites until well blended.
Stir in all of the remaining ingredients.
Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly.
Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile make the frosting. Blend the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer until soft and well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla and salt.
Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped pecans.