Pumpkin Bars (sans Frosting) - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
This Pumpkin Bars (sans Frosting) is a PCOS-friendly recipe with 169 calories, 2.31g protein, and 17.8g carbs per serving. Ready in 40 minutes. High in fiber (0.5g), which supports insulin sensitivity.
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 4 large egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15 oz pumpkin
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 °F (170 °C).
- Beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil and canned pumpkin puree until light and fluffy.
- Sift the flour and combine with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture and mix until batter is smooth.
- Pour batter in to 13x9" pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Cut in to 24 servings. Enjoy!
- Note: these bars go great with a bit of cream cheese frosting, but beware the extra calories.
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Pumpkin Bars (sans Frosting) contribute to your health goals:
- Egg: Contain choline which supports liver function and hormone metabolism
- Cinnamon: Studies show cinnamon can help lower fasting blood sugar levels in PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Pumpkin Bars (sans Frosting) can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Cinnamon.
Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Pumpkin Bars (sans Frosting) recipe is designed to be PCOS-friendly. At 169 calories per serving with 2.31g of protein, it supports balanced blood sugar and hormonal health. It also provides 0.5g of fiber, which helps with insulin sensitivity.
This recipe takes about 40 minutes total. Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 30 minutes. It makes 24 servings, so you can meal prep for multiple days.
Per serving: 169 calories, 2.31g protein (5%), 17.8g carbs, 10.07g fat. Plus 0.5g fiber. PCOS meal plans typically aim for 30% protein, 35% fat, 35% carbs to support insulin sensitivity.
Yes, this recipe works well as a PCOS-friendly Baked. At 169 calories, it fits within typical PCOS meal plan targets for Baked. Pair it with other PCOS-friendly foods throughout the day for balanced nutrition.
This recipe can be part of a structured PCOS meal plan. It makes 24 servings, making it great for meal prep. For a complete weekly plan tailored to your PCOS type, take our free 60-second quiz at pcosmealplanner.com/pcos-quiz to get a personalized 7-day meal plan.
Cook Another PCOS-Friendly Baked
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