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I admit it – I’m pretty much addicted to pumpkin. I have a list on my iPhone of 23 pumpkin recipes that I must create. And I’ve already started my pumpkin can tower which has officially toppled over in my pantry twice. Not awesome when you have a small pantry with drawers because I pretty much have to sprawl face first on the kitchen floor to retrieve anything that falls. Admit it, you’re totally picturing this is your head right now, aren’t you?
With my leaning tower of pumpkin and my embarrassingly large container of Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, I’d say I’m fully prepared for the next 3 months of pumpkin goodness.
When my stash of Homemade Pumpkin Pie Granola was gone, I couldn’t resist taking this sweet and spicy flavor combination to a different level with Homemade Pumpkin Granola Bars. They’re loaded with oats, pecans, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. And if you ask me, they’re pretty much Fall breakfast perfection.
[pinit]
Pumpkin Granola Bars
Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened, your choice)
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with foil allowing for 1 inch overhang on the sides of the pan. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and stir until oats are moistened. Stir in cranberries, white chocolate chips, pecans and pumpkin seeds.
4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure not to underbake. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Use a sharp knife or circular cookie cutter (see note below) to cut into bars.
Notes:
- I used a round biscuit cutter to cut my granola bars into fun, circular shapes.
- The pumpkin puree adds moisture to the recipe, so you definitely want to make sure you bake the bars long enough so they'll hold their shape.
- This recipe is easily adapted to suite your taste - get creative with different nuts, chocolates, and dried fruits.
My Baking Addiction adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
All images and text ©Follow Jamie on Instagram. We love to see what you're baking from MBA! Be sure to tag @jamiemba and use the hashtag #mbarecipes!
I made these with some alterations to accommodate what I had in my pantry.
Instead of oats, I used Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli [whole grain oats/date pieces/raisins/sunflower seeds/almonds and walnuts already included]
I added some sugar free maple syrup because I didn’t have enough honey, some flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and Heath bits instead of white chocolate chips.
I used my mini muffin pan…baked for 25 min. Then I used up the rest of the mixture by rolling it into 1″ balls and baking 20 min.
They are delicious! Some were a little crumbly, but we didn’t care. I think that was because of the extra seeds in included.
PS Thanks for the recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice!
I love your alterations, Susan! I’m really glad you enjoyed them!
These are absolutely Dee-lish I’m making my second batch!!
Thank you, Kim! I’m so glad you enjoy them!
I just found your recipe via Pinterest, so it will probably be a while before I get around to trying it. When I read about your pumpkin can tower, my first thought was “Oh, canned pumpkin???” I’m not trying to be a pumpkin snob, but no canned stuff for me! Have you even tried fresh? There is NO comparison, if it is done right. A couple of years ago, I made a batch of cookies with a small can of pumpkin that was given to me by my sister (she was moving, and didn’t want to take it with her). Something was off. Two weeks later, I made another batch with my frozen pumpkin, and since there hadn’t been a lot of time that passed between batches, the taste was still fresh in my mind. That basically sealed the deal. My memory of the canned stuff was kinda foggy, because it had been such a long time, but the cookie test was all I needed.
I try to grow pie pumpkins every year, and although I don’t can, I do freeze what is cooked. DO NOT USE Jack O’ lanterns. I know some people do, but I’ve cooked many a pumpkin over the years (lots of experimentation), and only use certain varieties. I stick with Winter Luxury, Early Small Sugar Pie, New England Pie, and a few odds and ends that I want to try, but definitely nothing that is grown for carving. I’ve even cooked Jack-Be-Littles, and they are just fine.
I’ve tweaked my cooking methods over the years, and now stick with what works the best for me. I’d be happy to provide my instructions, but am not sure how to go about it. Thanks!
We love these! We switched out the pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds and my 8 year old son can’t get enough of them. They are also a welcome cub scout and classroom snack.
Is there anything I can substitute for the honey? Would I be able to use regular sugar or brown sugar?
Christina-
You might try maple syrup instead of honey. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
I absolutely love these and have made them twice now…but I can’t get them to sick together in bars. They end up more like granola. Suggestions? Have you had any problems with this?
You might try adding a little more honey. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
I’m shopping for the ingedients I need to make the Pumpkin Granola Bars. Would like to know the nutritional info for a single serving if possible!
Hi Mary,
I do not have nutritional information. You can plug the recipe into a nutrition calculator found on google to get what you need.
– Jamie
ANy idea on the calorie content?