Pumpkin Oat Bars
Halloween came and went… and yet, here I am, still using up pumpkins.
If you’ve ever roasted pumpkins after Halloween, scooped out the flesh, blended it into a silky purée, and tucked it into your freezer like a little orange treasure, this one’s for you. Pumpkin purée freezes beautifully and even months later it’s still doing its job. In my kitchen, it becomes the ultimate binding agent for simple, filling snacks.
These pumpkin oat bars are gooey, cozy, and incredibly satisfying. I have two boys, one of them now officially an adult, and they eat a lot. Snacks disappear fast around here, so I lean into ingredients that are cheap, filling, and actually nourishing.
Oats are a staple in our house. They’re inexpensive, loaded with fiber, and they keep everyone full longer, which means fewer snack raids an hour later. Paired with pumpkin purée, they turn into soft, hearty bars that feel like a treat without the sugar crash.
This recipe comes together in minutes with pantry basics. It’s a great way to avoid overly sugary store-bought snacks and all the plastic packaging that comes with them. Simple food, made from what you already have, stretching your grocery budget just a little further.
Gooey Pumpkin Oat Bars
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
¼ cup melted coconut oil or butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
Vegan swap
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes)
Dry ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup oat flour (or blend rolled oats until fine)
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
Optional add-ins
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin purée, maple syrup or honey, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and egg (or flax egg) until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until fully combined. The mixture will be thick and slightly gooey.
Fold in chocolate chips or nuts if using.
Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until set in the center and lightly golden on top.
Let cool before slicing into bars.
These bars are perfect for quick breakfasts, lunchbox snacks, or that mid-afternoon “everyone is suddenly starving” moment.
