Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

5 from 18 votes

Soft, lightly spiced pumpkin oatmeal bars studded with chocolate chips and walnuts. There is no flour in them at all since the oats get blended into oat flour, and each bar has 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Bars and Balls, Breakfast/Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: bars

Author: Brittany Mullins

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

3 cups quick oats divided
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons coconut oil melted
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup chopped walnuts plus more for topping
⅓ cup chocolate chips plus more for topping

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray and set aside.
Put 2 cups of the quick oats in a blender or food processor and blend until you’ve created oat flour.
2 cups quick oats
Transfer the oat flour to a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
1 cups quick oats, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt
Add pumpkin, maple syrup, coconut oil, flaxseed and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.
1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
⅓ cup chopped walnuts, ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Scatter additional chocolate chips and walnuts on top, gently pressing them down.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the bars are cooked through and a toothpick insured comes out clean.
Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into 9 bars and serving.

Notes

Oats: Quick oats are the best for these oat bars, but rolled oats will work as a substitute.
Pumpkin: Pumpkin is the star ingredient in this recipe, but you could also use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead of the pumpkin puree if you’d like.
Maple syrup: You can replace this with any other liquid sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup or monk fruit maple syrup for a sugar-free option.
Flaxseed: If you don’t need these bars to be vegan you can use a regular egg instead of the flaxseed.
Mix-in's: Feel free to customize these bars with your favorite mix-in's. Instead of walnuts and chocolate chips you can use a blend of other mix-in's. Some ideas: almonds, pecans, pepitas, dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries, cacao nibs.
Storage: Room temperature for 3 to 4 days, fridge for up to a week, or freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition