Recently I decided to give my uber popular Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Bars a fall spin and ended up with Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. Here’s what you need to know about these soft and dense oatmeal bars that make the perfect breakfast or snack: they’re healthy, easy to make, and taste like sweet, spiced pumpkin cake.
We ate an entire pan in 24 hours.
SO INTO IT!
We’ve finally gotten into a good rhythm with getting the boys up and ready in the morning and, long story short, Ben is in charge of breakfast…which commences at 6:45am. Woof. Even longer story short, nobody hates mornings more then Ben. NOBODY. That said, he really appreciates when I have breakfast bars sliced and waiting in the fridge so he can slap a couple onto plates then stand sleep while the boys have at ’em.
Now fall officially kicks off next weekend and, although it was a sweltering 90 degrees here today, these bars were a great way to kick off the new season. Syrup, spice, and everything nice!? Ahem. It’s definitely too hot for Easy Pumpkin Spice Lattes but it’s never the wrong time for these bars which you can prep on the weekend and enjoy all week long. They’re INSANE warm from the oven but again, keep perfectly in the fridge. You can even individually wrap the bars in saran wrap and freeze.
Onward!
How to Make This Recipe
This is a 1-bowl recipe so start by whisking up the wet ingredients in a large one. That includes pumpkin puree, an egg, milk (any kind – I use unsweetened almond milk,) coconut oil, vanilla, and pure maple syrup. None of that pancake syrup, ya’ hear?! I buy organic maple syrup at Costco and it’s just fab.
Next stir in the dry ingredients including gluten-free oats, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, and pumpkin pie spice.
I make oat flour from gluten-free oats in my food processor – just process for a minute or two until the oats are finely ground. If you already have oat flour on hand, you can use a scant cup in the recipe instead.
Pour the mixture into a nonstick sprayed 8×8 baking pan then bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Check on the bars at the 25 minute mark – if the edges are already turning golden brown, place a piece of foil on top which will allow the center to bake through before the sides brown too much.
As I mentioned, these bars are killerrrr warm but also keep super well in the fridge to slice and eat all week long. Hey, warm, cold – it doesn’t matter, you are going to LOVE these perfectly sweet and spiced pumpkin oatmeal bars! Enjoy!
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Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Description
Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a delectable gluten-free breakfast or snack recipe that's flavored with pumpkin pie spice and pure maple syrup. Healthy, easy, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups gluten-free old fashioned oats, divided
- 1 cup milk, any kind (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Add 1 cup old fashioned oats to a food processor or blender then process until oats have turned into flour. Set aside. (Alternatively you could use a scant cup oat flour.)
- Add milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla to a large bowl then whisk to combine. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups oats, oat flour, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then stir to combine. Fold in chopped pecans then pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center has set. Check on the bars at the 25 minute mark - if the edges are browning too quickly, place a piece of foil on top of the baking pan. Cool before slicing into bars then store in the refrigerator, or individually wrap bars in saran wrap and freeze.
Notes
- I recommend GF Harvest gluten-free oats >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
My coconut oil hardens when I add it to the recipe and it won’t whisk because there are thick chunks of coconut oil. Does this happen to anyone else?
Hi Taylor! That’s normal – it’s just the coconut oil hardening when it’s mixed with the cold ingredients. It will melt back into the batter when it goes into the oven. :)
I made a mistake but it turned out to be a good one. I have made this recipe twice. The second time I added a 1 tablespoon of oil by mistake. I added 1 shredded carrot and the pumpkin, and flaxseed egg. To my surprise it was not dry because of the added carrot. I am happy knowing my mistake was a good one because it fits down the oil use .
Love that! Thanks for sharing with us, Jennifer!! Thank you also for your feedback and recipe rating!
I tried making these today with chia egg instead of a normal egg and after an hour of baking they just aren’t cooking in the center. Do you or does anyone else have recommendations how to make these egg free?
Hi, I’m hoping to make these today but don’t have chia seeds. Can I just leave them out? Thank you!
Hi Alicia! I would add 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed in its place OR reduce the amount of milk.
These are so dog gone good. I was looking to cut down on sugar and have a helthier breakfast than an almond-chocolate biscotti and I found these. I make little changes, or don’t have certain things, and the recipe is so forgiving. I didn’t have enough oatmeal, so I used almond meal. I added pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds because I didn’t the chia seeds. I didn’t have enough old-fashioned oats, so I ground a half cup of steal-cut oats. Just fabulous. Made my own almond milk–so much better fresh. Thank you for this receipe I found a month ago and have made 3 times already.
Great recipes, thanks! We added walnuts instead and reduced the maple syrup just a bit. Awesome way to eat oats and pumpkin. I don’t really like oatmeal hot cereal so I like being creative with my oats in the morning.
My daughters are completely grain free due to allergies. Can I substitute the oat flour for a certain amount of almond or cassava flour?
Could you substitute quick cooking oats for old fashioned oats?
Hi Michelle! I think the bars would be a bit dense and gummy if you used instant oats. You could maybe halve or quarter the recipe to try it?
Hi can you tell me the nutritional information for these bars please?