Pumpkin plus chocolate chips in an allergen-friendly grab-and-go snack. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are chewy and delicious!
Have you ever made your own granola bars? They are so simple and affordable to make at home! This easy Chewy Pumpkin Granola Bars Recipe is full of fall flavor and the perfect grab and go snack! They are also great to add to lunchboxes.
Ingredients
To make these you just need a few simple ingredients, most of them are probably in your pantry.
- Rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
- canned pumpkin
- peanut butter (or alternative nut butter)
- maple syrup
- pumpkin pie spice
- flax seed
- salt
- mini chocolate chips
- vanilla extract
You will also need
- bowl
- spatula
- 8x8 baking dish
Instructions
Prep
Preheat your oven to 350 and line your baking pan with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove your bars later.
Mix
In a large bowl add dry ingredients; oats, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix to combine.
In the same large bowl add wet ingredients; pumpkin puree, nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Then, fold in mini-chocolate chips.
Bake
Transfer the oat mix to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to evenly flatten the mixture into an even layer.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the bars turn a light golden brown.
Cool & Slice
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before slicing into bars.
Gluten Free
To make these bars gluten-free you just need to make sure you are using certified gluten free oats.
Vegan
If you need these dairy free or vegan simply make sure you are using a vegan chocolate chip.
Storage
Once these granola bars are cool and sliced, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Store them in the fridge to lengthen the shelf life by a few days. These can also be packaged and stored in the freezer for longer-term storage.
Tips
- Want to add some protein? Mix in 1 tablespoon of pea protein to the dry ingredients. It won't affect the taste but will add some nutritional value.
- Don't have maple syrup? You can substitute honey for the sweetener in this recipe.
- Change up the mix-ins. Use dried cranberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
More Grab & Go Snacks
As a busy mom, I am always looking for healthy grab-and-go snacks. Making my own is a great way to not only know what is in them but to save money too! Storebought snacks can be expensive and contain a ton of sugar and other things I don't want my family eating. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to make and have on hand as options for my kids.
- Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal Recipe
- Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
- All-Natural Homemade Granola Bars
Recipe
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ⅓ cup peanut butter sub with your favorite nut butter
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add a piece of parchment paper to an 8x8 baking dish, using enough paper to create flaps on the sides for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add oats, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix to combine.
- In the same bowl, add pumpkin, nut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in mini-chocolate chips.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to evenly flatten the dough.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the bars turn a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before slicing into bars.
Questions? Comments?