Description
These Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars are the ultimate autumn comfort food — a little sweet, a little spiced, and just hearty enough to keep you full all morning. They’re basically the love child of pumpkin pie and oatmeal, baked into soft, chewy bars that make breakfast feel like a treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats, divided
- 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based — almond milk is great)
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup (skip the pancake syrup — go for the real deal)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional but highly recommended for crunch)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven:
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Make the Oat Flour:
- Add 1 cup of oats to a food processor or blender. Pulse until you have a fine, flour-like texture. This is your homemade oat flour! (If you already have oat flour, you can use about a scant cup instead.)
- Mix the Wet Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients:
- Add the remaining 1½ cups oats, your freshly made oat flour, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Stir gently until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Optional Add-Ins:
- Fold in the chopped pecans for extra texture and a nutty bite.
- Bake the Bars:
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center feels firm to the touch.
- Pro Tip: Check around the 25-minute mark — if the edges are browning too fast, lightly cover the pan with foil to let the middle finish baking without overdoing the sides.
- Cool & Slice:
- Once baked, remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. (They’ll hold together better this way.)
- Store & Enjoy:
- Refrigerate: Keep bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and freeze. When you’re ready to eat, just microwave for 20–30 seconds for a warm, freshly baked texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
Nutrition
- Calories: 252 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg