Cindy's Healthy Pumpkin-Cheesecake Bars

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Cindy's Healthy Pumpkin- Cheescake Bars

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 tablespoons smart balance butter melted and cooled
  • 1 3/4 cups stevia
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 kosher salt
  • 1 package (8 oz.) fat free or lite cream cheese, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 10x 15 inch baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups stevia  until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/3 cup water until well blended.

3. In another bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until and combine until well blended. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan

4. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon of vanilla until smooth.

5. Drop cream cheese mixture in evenly spaced portions over the pumpkin batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.

6. Bake in a 350° oven until center of the pumpkin batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.