Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup oat flour or finely blended oats
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling
2 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
¼ cup coconut oil melted or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
COOKING INSTRUCTION:
Preheat the oven — Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). (Estimated time: 10 minutes)
Tip: Place the rack in the center of the oven so the bars bake evenly.
Prepare the baking pan — Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on two sides, or lightly grease the pan. (Estimated time: 2–3 minutes)
Tip: The parchment overhang makes it easy to lift the bars out after baking.
Mix the dry ingredients — In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk them together so everything is evenly mixed. (Estimated time: 2–3 minutes)
Tip: Whisking helps break up clumps and spreads the spice flavor evenly.
Mix the wet ingredients — In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, eggs, maple syrup (or honey), melted coconut oil, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk continuously until the mixture looks even. (Estimated time: 2–3 minutes)
Tip: Whisk continuously to prevent lumps and get a silky wet mix.
Combine wet and dry — Pour the wet mixture into the dry bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Be patient while stirring—this is where the magic happens! The batter should be thick but spreadable. (Estimated time: 1–2 minutes)
Tip: Don’t overmix — overworking the batter can make the bars dense instead of fluffy.
Stir in add-ins (optional) — Fold in chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit if using. Save a few chips or nuts to sprinkle on top. (Estimated time: 30–60 seconds)
Tip: Toss nuts or dried fruit in a tiny bit of oat flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom.
Transfer to pan & level — Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula so the surface is even. (Estimated time: 1–2 minutes)
Tip: Tap the pan gently on the counter once to remove big air bubbles.
Bake — Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–25 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter). (Estimated time: 20–25 minutes)
Tip: Start checking at 18 minutes. If you like very moist bars, aim for the lower end of the time range.
Cool in the pan then on a rack — Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift the slab out and cool completely on the rack for 30–45 minutes before slicing. (Estimated time: 45–60 minutes)
Tip: Cooling helps the bars set so they slice cleanly. If you’re in a hurry, chilling in the fridge for 20–30 minutes helps firm them up.
Slice and store — Cut into 9–12 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze individual bars for up to 3 months. (Estimated time to slice & store: 5 minutes)