Pumpkin Bars

I went to whip up cookies for the girls one morning, Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies, but instead decided to double and tweak the recipe to make bars. I like to tweak old recipes as I think of new ways to make them or twist them after the fact. Even a couple weeks after making these I have had some thoughts in my head for how to tweak them but the girls said NO we like them. So I guess I will save it for a day they are at school when it’s cold out and I’m in a baking mood. If they aren’t as good well then I don’t have to tell them and if they are better well then they can test them for me when they get home from school.

To say the girls liked these bars would be an understatement, they were gone so quick. They wanted them for breakfast, packed for school snack, an afternoon snack before or after gymnastics or soccer. So quick and easy to whip up, filling and a pretty healthy snack or breakfast overall, I’m not complaining. They are a denser bar similar to a Cliff Bar, which is great for packing these for on the go. If you are looking for a less dense bar you can add less oats, we made other batches dropping them down to a cup. I’ve already marked them for making if we take a trip up to the north short to see all the leaves changing. Either for a snack on our hike or to enjoy still warm with a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte on the way up!

Now if only I had an oven so I could whip up another pan of these, anyone have one I can borrow?

Pumpkin Bars
Makes an 8×8 pan, 9 large bars or 16-18 smaller bars
1 1/4c gluten free oats, drop to 1c for less dense bars (used Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Rolled Oats)
1 1/2c oat flour (ground the same oats used above)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1c pumpkin puree, canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
1/2c unsweetened applesauce
1/3c coconut palm sugar
1/3- 1/2c chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl mix together oats, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a smaller bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, applesauce, vanilla, and coconut palm sugar. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, add chocolate chips, and mix until just combine. The mixture it will be thick. Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper or spray with non stick spray (like coconut oil) and spread mixture into the prepared pan. Bake approximately 20-25 minutes, they will have a dry top and feel set but not hard. Enjoy warm or cooled. If packing for on the go it is best to cut the bars after they have cooled completely. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Bars for breakfast or snack, that is the question! @BobsRedMill @enjoylifefoods #vegan #glutenfree Share on X