Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars Recipe
These Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars are fluffy, moist, and packed with wholesome ingredients like pumpkin puree, rolled oats, and almond butter. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and enhanced with warm spices, they make a deliciously nutritious snack or breakfast option. Perfect for fall and versatile enough to customize with nuts, dried fruit, seeds, or chocolate chips.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bars
- 1 1/2 cups (135g) rolled oats, old-fashioned
- 1 cup (240g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (not pie filling)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60g) almond butter, creamy
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or mix of cinnamon and nutmeg)
- 1/3 cup (60g) dark chocolate chips (optional)
Optional Variations
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for nutty crunch
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins for fruit fusion
- Extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for spiced up flavor
- White chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons chia or flax seeds for seed sensation
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut for coconut dream
- Scoop of vanilla protein powder for protein boost
- 1/2 cup diced apples for apple twist
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Mix the Wet Stuff: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, almond butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and evenly combined.
- Combine the Dry: In a separate bowl, stir together the rolled oats, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well mixed.
- Bring It Together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in dark chocolate chips if using, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake It Up: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Cool and Cut: Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing into 12 bars for neat squares.
Notes
- Do not use pumpkin pie filling; it is too sweet and alters texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter to avoid tough bars; mix just until combined.
- Check bars early during baking to prevent drying out.
- Allow bars to cool before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- Use gluten-free oats to make the recipe gluten-free.
- Variations allow you to customize flavor and texture based on preference.
- Bars keep well refrigerated for up to 5 days and can be frozen for 2 months.
Keywords: pumpkin bars, healthy snack, oatmeal bars, fall recipes, pumpkin puree, vegetarian bars, easy baking
