Pumpkin Oat Bars

These healthy pumpkin oat bars are the perfect recipe to make for a simple breakfast or easy snack! Made with whole wheat flour and chocolate chips or raisins for extra sweetness.

Pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars are perfect for fall!

In our house, we love everything pumpkin. When fall comes around and the air starts turning cooler, I basically demand that if there’s a pumpkin version, it must be in our house! Breakfast bars? Pumpkin. Candles? Pumpkin. Dessert? Pumpkin.

That being said, these pumpkin oatmeal bars were a given. And being that they double as a healthy breakfast and a sweet-tooth fixing treat, they’re a win-win!

These oat bars are thick and chewy from the oats, but the flour keeps them soft and fluffy. The ingredients are simple, dairy-free, and healthy enough that they make a good protein-rich breakfast. If you’re not a fan of chocolate for breakfast, swap the chocolate chips with raisins or nuts!

Fall pumpkin recipes

Since it’s pumpkin week over here, we’ve been diving face first into all of the best healthy pumpkin recipes that you need to make this fall. Tom might never want to see pumpkin flavored stuff again after these last few weeks, but let me tell you, I won’t ever get sick of it.

We’ve got the best lineup of fall recipes this year: pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bites, pumpkin chili… it’s going to be a good one!

Ingredients in healthy pumpkin oatmeal bars

We’re using a healthier blend of ingredients in these bars to make them as nutrient-dense as possible. And with the pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, and chocolate, the flavor is delicious.

• Flour: First up, you will need 1 cup of white whole wheat flour. You can also use gluten free flour if preferred!
• Oats: To add texture and thickness to the bars, use 1 cup of quick-cooking oats.
• Pumpkin spice: Add pumpkin flavor with 2 tsp of pumpkin puree.
• Baking soda: Then, throw in 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
• Salt: Use 1/4 tsp of salt for extra flavor.
• Pumpkin puree: Next, you’ll need 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. This ingredient makes the bars moist and helps to mix in that authentic pumpkin (fall) flavor! Paired with the pumpkin spice, the flavor really comes through.
• Coconut oil: 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil will help the dry ingredients bind together well. This ingredient also helps to make the bars moist and prevents them from crumbling apart!
• Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is used to sweeten up the bars. Use 1/2 cup! Coconut sugar is one of my favorite swaps to make thanks to its low glycemic properties. You can find this in any grocery store, and you can optionally use brown sugar.
• Eggs: Next, you will need 2 whisked eggs. Like the oil, the eggs help to hold everything together!
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp of vanilla extract is essential to the flavor.
• Chocolate chips: Finally, finish off these bars with 1/2 cup of chocolate chips!

Kitchen tools needed to make pumpkin bars

To make pumpkin bars, you will need the following kitchen supplies:

• 8×8 baking dish
• Cooking spray or parchment paper
• Medium mixing bowl
• Stirring utensil
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• 1/4 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup sized measuring cups

How to make pumpkin oat bars

When making a dessert, I always go for something that is quick and not overly complicated. That’s where these pumpkin oat bars come in! In less than thirty minutes you have an incredible healthy fall dessert.

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray or prepare with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt.

Then, use a large mixing bowl to combine the pumpkin, coconut oil, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine. Then, add the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish, and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

Throughout this recipe, there are a number of ingredients that can be swapped! If you’re missing an item or two, check this list.

Instant oats
If you have rolled oats on deck, feel free to use them! Just be aware that rolled oats are a bit heartier, and the texture of the bars tends to do better with quick or instant oats.

Whole wheat flour
Whole wheat flour can be replaced with regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio. Don’t use oat flour, as its texture creates a very crumbly result.

Coconut sugar
In terms of sugar, feel free to replace coconut oil with brown sugar! Either option is better than regular white sugar and tastes great.

Coconut oil
Next, coconut oil can be replaced with any similar baking oil. As far as the coconut flavor goes, refined coconut oil has no taste and will not make your bars taste like coconut!

Chocolate chips
Chocolate chips totally make this recipe! If you’d prefer something else, feel free to use raisins, craisins, nuts, or white chocolate to elevate your pumpkin oat bars.

Note: I don’t recommend swapping more than 2 ingredients, as it could change the recipe!

Can I use a larger baking dish?

Though I used an 8×8 baking dish, it’s not a must! Feel free to use whatever size you have, whether that’s a 9×13, a 9×9, or something else. Note that a larger dish will produce thinner bars, and you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.

Storing leftover oat bars

Leftover oat bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them in an airtight container to keep them fresh. If you want to save them for later, feel free to freeze for up to 3 months.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Craving some more pumpkin recipes? We’ve got you covered! Try one of these for the ultimate cozy fall vibes.

• Healthy Pumpkin Pie Crisp
• Lightened Up Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola
• Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment below and let me know how it was! Also tag @erinliveswhole on Instagram and use the hashtag #erinliveswhole so I can see it and feature you!