Easy Pumpkin Cake Bars

The traditional pumpkin cake bars have lot's of extra calories topped with loads of cream cheese frosting which makes them "oh so good"! My quest is to remove as many of the calories as possible yet achieve an acceptable pumpkin cake bar. The goal is to get Weight Watcher Smart points for these bars to 6 points or less. So listening closely to meeting members as they where talking about using bananas, pumpkin, and other pie low point pie fillings and cake mix. Pumpkin is best choice because it has 0 points value and cake mix has anywhere from 8 to 16 points per slice, so this is a very hard challenge to achieve. By eliminating oil or fat and eggs from mix reduces points by third. That's great but still a ways from 6 points or less. So I will need to cut the portion size down from 10 pieces to 16 pieces. This achieve the Weight Watcher Smart Points to 5.

[caption id="attachment_1240" align="alignright" width="300"] Pumpkin Cake Bars with just 3 ingredients[/caption]

So on test batch, I mixed one yellow cake mix and one can of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice together for 2 minutes. Put it into 9 by 13 inch cake pan and baked it off for 20 minutes. Well it worked, it's not quite as high of rise, as scratch pumpkin cake with lots of oil and eggs. But an acceptable bar thickness, so I just garnished the top of the bar with a dollop of fat free whipped topping (Cool Whip) and dusted it with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It's not bad and is only 5 Weight Watcher Smart Points. Still I miss the fluffy cream cheese frosting piled high onto each bar.

[caption id="attachment_1251" align="alignright" width="300"] Simple Garnished Pumpkin Cake Bar with just Cool Whip Light![/caption]

How do I get fluffy cream cheese topping with very little extra Weight Watcher Smart Points? This is hard because Smart Points adds up quickly when it has sugar. Light bulb came on to make a low fat mousse with fat free cream cheese, jell-o instant sugar free pudding mix, skim milk and Cool Whip light Topping. "Oh my God" this is the big one, it will work, I even

[caption id="attachment_1258" align="alignright" width="300"] Pumpkin Cake Bar with light cream cheese topping[/caption]

have some cheesecake flavored instant sugar free mix. I can envision fluffy light mousse like topping to go onto pumpkin cake bars, so light so fluffy and "Tasting So Good"! I might even win Weight Watcher merit badge for this one, only in my dreams!

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Easy Pumpkin Cake Bars - Acceptable pumpkin cake bars with only 6 Weight Watchers Smart Points. - Pumpkin Cake Bar: yellow cake mix, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, Fluffy Light Cream Cheese Topping:: skim milk, instant cheese cake sugar-free mix (Jell-o brand), Equal Sweetener, Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping, Garnishes: powder sugar (sifted), cinnamon (sifted), Making the pumpkin cake bar:: Combine the cake mix, pumpkin spice powder, and canned pumpkin together using whisk. Mix for about 2 minutes until combined.; Spread the pumpkin cake bar batter evenly into 9 by 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with PAM Baking Release.; Bake in 325°F convection oven for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Note conventional ovens use 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes.; Cool the baked pumpkin cake bars on cooling rack removed from pan. Allow to cool for 1 hour.; Score pumpkin cake bar 4 by 4 to get 16 pieces. Note only cut about 1/4 inch into bars.; Making Fluffy Cream Cheese Topping: Warm the fat-free cream cheese in micro-wave for 45 seconds at 50% powder. Stir well so cream cheese is soft and smooth.; Gather Jell-o instant sugar-free cheese cake mix and skim milk in mixing bowl.; Whisk together skim milk and instant pudding for about 2 minutes vigorously.; Add the soften cream cheese to whisked cheese cake pudding mixture.; Fold the soften cream cheese into cheese cake pudding mixture until incorporated.; Add the Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping to cheese cake mixture.; Fold in the Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping into cheese cake mixture gently until incorporated.; Cut one hole in corner of gallon zip-lock bag and insert large star tip into the hole. Then fill with Fluffy Cream Cheese Topping.; Plating Pumpkin Cake Bar: Cut pumpkin bars with serrated knife dipped in water. With spatula lift pumpkin cake bar onto dessert plate. Then pipe Fluffy Cream Cheese Topping in decorative way, dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Note use small sifter to get fine dusting. ; - [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]