For the holidays, sweet potato pie is a must. Some people choose to have pumpkin pie on their holiday menus, but I’m not a huge fan. I know what you’re probably thinking – “but, Andy, you have pumpkin recipes.”

Let me explain. I absolutely love pumpkin-flavored stuff, but pumpkin pie … not so much.

These Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato Pecan Bars are a great addition to your holiday menu. They have that same, familiar taste of a sweet potato pie but with fewer calories. They are made with plain nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat margarine. When making these bars, I used my Ninja Professional Blender with Nutri Ninja Cups to give the filling its creamy texture and to combine all ingredients evenly. I almost always use my blender to combine ingredients because it cuts my mixing time in half.

When it comes to getting my recipes approved for deliciousness, I always rely on my husband. He’s brutally honest and will definitely let me know if something doesn’t meet his expectations. He usually hates pecans, but somehow, he loved these bars. He even told me that the pecans were a great addition. I couldn’t believe it.

For this holiday season, step outside the box and try these Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato Pecan Bars. Enjoy.

Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato Pecan Bars. (Andrea Mathis / Beautiful Eats & Things)

Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato Pecan Bars

Serves: 14

Click here for a printable version.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 sleeves graham crackers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons reduced fat margarine, melted

Filling:

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1½ cups white chocolate morsels, melted
• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make crust, line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, sugar and salt until you have fine crumbs.
3. Add melted butter and pulse until texture resembles wet sand.
4. Press into pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
5. Let cool completely (I usually place my crust in the refrigerator until the filling is ready).
6. For the filling: Add sweet potato, vanilla, cinnamon, all spice, melted white chocolate and Greek yogurt to blender and combine until texture is smooth.
7. Pour on top of graham cracker crust and spread evenly.
8. Sprinkle pecans on top.
9. Place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until set. You can also let them set overnight in the fridge.
10. When firm, cut into bars and serve.

Andrea Mathis is a registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.