Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

By Abby Helman Kelly, Owner

 

This is one of our tried and true favorite recipes. We’ve got 4 kids and they love these – no joke. Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen, we make them year ’round, and keep them in the freezer. They make a great breakfast bar and they’re healthier and cheaper than store-bought alternatives. (and they’re vegan, too!)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups gluten free oats
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (we sub in honey instead)
  • 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
Directions
  1. Set oven for 350 degrees and spray 8×11 or 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. Blend oatmeal in a food processor or blender for 2 minutes or until it’s a fine flour.
  3. Put 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour in a medium bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
  4. In a separate large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar (or honey), vanilla extract, oil, and applesauce for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Mix in oat flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Timing varies depending on pan size, but check at 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack and cut into 16 slices.

This recipe is very freezer-friendly!Â