Pumpkin and Oat Snack Bars

Does anyone else have a “bar drawer”? This drawer in the kitchen gets filled with various types of bars: kind, hemp seed, Z-bars, peanut butter and chocolate chip, protein, Rx, Cliff, etc. etc. etc. I have a love/hate relationship with this drawer. I love that bars are convenient and clean (read: not messy) food that you can grab and take with you before a hike, between classes, or if you’re running late and don’t have time for breakfast. The hate? Well, at 4:45 a kid runs in and wants to eat a bar and that close to dinner, you know that kid is going to be full of this processed food and not want the always delicious and nutritious (ha!) whole food dinner that I slaved over, for hours (double ha!) Seriously, I’d rather my kids eat an apple or a banana or some carrots and hummus and NOT grab a snack from the bar drawer!

Enter: Pumpkin and Oat Snack Bars. The answer to that 4 something pm question, “Can I have a snack?” Yes, you can have a homemade bar. This one I feel good about. Pumpkin. Oats. Seeds. Nuts. All in a tasty little chewy afternoon snacking delight with NO WRAPPER. So make these bars. Lock the bar drawer. And give them something for their afternoon craving that you can pronounce every ingredient. Hopefully they won’t be too full for the dinner you’ve worked so hard to make either!

INGREDIENTS

makes 12 bars

• 2-1/2 cups old fashioned oats, divided

• 1 cup milk, any kind

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup pure maple 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 walnut or pecans, roughly chopped

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries/craisins/choc chips

• Pepitas for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

2. Add 1 cup old fashioned oats to a food processor or blender then process until oats have turned into flour. Set aside.

3. Add wet ingredients to a large bowl then whisk to combine.

4. Add 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 nuts and/or craisins then pour batter into prepared baking pan.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center has set. Check on the bars at the 25 minutes- if the edges are browning too quickly, place a piece of foil on top of the pan. Cool before slicing into bars then store in the refrigerator.