A Guilt-Free Indulgence

I came across this fudge recipe on Hungry Girl around the holiday's and have made it a few times since. It couldn't be any easier and I totally suggest it next time you have a chocolate craving!

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pure pumpkin
1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies Mix (the 18.3-oz. Family Size box)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pumpkin with the brownie mix in a large bowl; stir until smooth (do not add anything else). Spray a small baking pan (8" X 8" work best) with nonstick cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Cook for approximately 35 minutes. The batter will remain very thick and fudgy, and it should look undercooked. Remove from oven. Cover with aluminum foil and let cool in fridge for a couple of hours. Cut into 36 squares and serve.




Hungry Girl suggests spooning in two tablespoons of Better ‘n Peanut Butter after pouring the batter into a baking pan for an extra kick. I typically use whatever low-fat peanut butter I have on hand and swirl it around with a knife but this time I chose not to put in the peanut butter. After the fudge has cooled it's also nice to sprinkle some confectionary sugar on top.

Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 1.3 oz.)
Calories: 63 (depending on peanut butter/confectionary sugar)
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 56mg
Carbs: 13.5g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 1g

I use up any leftover canned pumpkin by mixing it into yogurt, fat-free CoolWhip, and even Kashi. But don't worry if you don't like the taste of pumpkin, there are no traces of it in the fudge!