Naturally sweetened, packed with warm flavors, and nutritious, these Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars are the perfect fall snack!
When it starts getting colder and colder outside, I just start getting hungrier and hungrier. Is this just me or can anyone else feel me on this? Baggy-sweater weather is here until May, so I’m here for it!
The good news is, I have found the perfect fall-flavored filling healthy snack to keep me from getting hangry. Plus it is super easy to make, so you can whip up a batch when you get a craving and it will be ready to eat in 30 minutes.
I am pretty much anti-unfilling snacks. You know those little dinky granola bars that take you 1.5 seconds to eat and afterwards you can’t even tell that you ate anything so you go digging back in the snack drawer once again? Those kinds of snacks, well, kinda tick me off.
And I LOVE the kind of snacks that I can look forward to and that actually fill me up and keep me energized as I go through the day. I look forward to getting hungry a few hours of lunch so I can savor one of these bad boys. One of these bars can keep me full for the rest of my workday and power me through a tough workout before dinner. As far as the taste goes, the pumpkin and peanut butter combo is just perfect, the oats hold it together and give it substance, the allspice and cinnamon give it the comforting fall-flavor, and maple syrup provides justttt the right amount of sweetness.
I have made several batches of these, some that were a little too peanut buttery, others too flimsy, and finally I hit the nail right on the head! My husband, who doesn’t like peanut butter (crazy, I know) even likes these.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Pumpkin Puree: I use canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. If you use fresh pumpkin puree, you may need to strain it with a cheesecloth to ensure that there is not too much added liquid in the mixture. Your pumpkin puree should be on the thicker side. Look at the process pictures for a reference of the texture of mine.
Peanut butter: I use a creamy salted natural peanut butter. If you use unsalted, you may need to add 1/4 tsp salt into the mixture
Maple Syrup: These bars are naturally sweetened with Maple Syrup! I think the sweet spot is 5tbs, you could always add more if you would like it to be a little sweeter. Coconut sugar or brown sugar should also work.
Pumpkin Pie Spice and/or Cinnamon: I like using 1/2tsp puumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in these. If you don´t have pumpkin pie spice, use 1 tsp cinnamon.
Chocolate Chips: Because everything is better with chocolate! I use dark chocolate chips which are naturally vegan. I mix them into the batter and also place some extras on the top before baking. It is important to push them in the top before baking to make sure that they stay intact once baked.
Oats: I use Old Fashioned oats for these as they provide a solid texture for the bars. If you use fine or quick-cooking oats they are more likely to be more wet or flimsy.
Oat Flour: Using a small amount of flour helps to hold the bars together. I have tried these with oat and regular flour and they both work. Other types of flour should work as well.
How to make Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Mix dry ingredients 
Mix wet ingredients 
Combine wet + dry + chocolate chips 
Mix! And eat some of the batter! Yum. 
Press firmly into prepared square baking dish 
Press more choc chips on top and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Bake for 25min at 350 
Storage Tips
These bars stay good in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 4 days. The are very freezer-friendly as well! To freeze, cut into squares and freeze in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag (Low-waste tip: if you use a ziplock bag, wash it out and reuse it after all of your bars are gone!)
To defrost, microwave a frozen bar for about 15 seconds until warmed through. You can also let them sit out at room temperature for 45 minutes until defrosted. I love keeping them defrosted and popping one into the microwave when I get a craving! They are also super handy to bring to work or on the go, you can bring one straight out of the freezer in a container and it will be at room temperature by the time you are ready for a snack!
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (290g)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (120g) I use natural salted, creamy or crunchy both work
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (75g)
- 2 cups old fashioned oats (180g) see note 1
- 1/4 cup oat flour or regular flour see note 2
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice can sub more cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips 60g
- 1/4 tsp salt see note 3
- 1-2 tbs coconut sugar or brown sugar optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350°F/180°C.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and maple syrup.
- In another bowl, mix together the oats, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the wet and dry ingredients to the same bowl along with the chocolate chips and mix well.
- Prepare a 9x9inch/23x23cm square baking pan by rubbing it with coconut oil or lining it with parchment paper.
- Press the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Press down firmly into the pan.
- Add some extra chocolate chips on top by pressing them into the bars so they don´t fall off afterwards. Sprinkle the coconut sugar or brown sugar on top. Place in the oven and bake for 25minutes until slightly browned on the top.
- Feel free to cut and eat while warm, but I think they taste even better the next day! Store at room temperature in an air-tight container to up to 4 days.
- These bars freeze very well! Cut the bars first and put in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. To defrost, pop a bar into the microwave for 15 seconds until warmed through, or allow to sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
Notes
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!