HOME TOUR

A few years ago I shared a favorite family recipe for Baked Oat Bars. This is essentially our fall version of that. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin spices make it feel like a warm fall hug. A healthy, Gluten-free recipe (make sure the oats are labeled GF), it even has some sneaky fruit in the form of pumpkin. This is one breakfast I’m happy to send my kids out the door with. Knowing kiddos (and adults) can be picky eaters, getting more nutrition “bang for your buck” is key. I find my kids eat baked goods well so I usually enhance them. If you add a scoop of pumpkin seed protein powder, the hemp seeds and the ground flax seed, just those 3 ingredients adds an additional 39g of protein to the dish. I usually make these Baked Pumpkin Oat Bars the night before for easy school mornings.

USING THOUGHTFUL INGREDIENTS

With a background in nutrition, (grad school at Boston University is what brought us out to New England from California) sourcing food for my home not only feels like my “mom job” at the moment but something I actually really enjoy. During COVID I went down a rabbit hole exploring heavy metals and toxins in our food products and cooking utensils. I went to all stainless steel and glass and only cook with American-made cast iron. So a lot of the ingredients I bring into the home I try to screen through websites like Lead Free Mama and I’ve found some I really love like the Jacobsen Salt from Oregon and the Rolled Oats I buy off Amazon.

INGREDIENTS

4 1/2 C Rolled Oats (I use a combo of rolled and quick cooking)

1/4 C Hemp Seeds

1/4 C Ground Flax Seeds

1/2 C Date Sugar (You could use the same amount of coconut sugar or your standard cane sugar instead)

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Pumpkin Spice

1 Scoop Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder  (not necessary but adds a good dose of protein which helps kiddos stay full longer)

1 Can Organic Pumpkin

2/3 C Walnut Oil (Don’t use this oil if you’ve got a nut allergy in your home, I’d sub with Avocado oil)

1 C Maple Syrup (the real stuff!)

4 Eggs

1 C Milk (We use this 2 Ingredient Cashew Milk)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your baking dish (I use olive oil spray). I use a 2 qt Pyrex baking dish (8 x 11″) because it fits in my small oven and my small oven heats up so much faster. You could also use a 9 x 13″ baking dish.

This really couldn’t be any easier because you don’t have to worry about over mixing and you only use one bowl. Start with your dry ingredients–the oats, baking powder, salt, spices, pumpkin seed protein powder, hemp seeds and flax seeds, and the date sugar and give it a quick stir to combine.

Next add the wet ingredients: canned pumpkin, the eggs, the oil (I always use walnut oil in baking for the nutritional profile but use avocado oil if you have a nut allergy in your home), the maple syrup  and the milk. Pro tip: use the same measuring cup for the oil and to measure the maple syrup. It comes out so much easier.

Pour batter into your greased baking dish and slide into the oven. Baking times really vary per oven, I usually have mine in for ~30 minutes. I’m looking for it to not be jiggly and wet, fully set in the middle and nicely springy when you press lightly with your finger and starting to brown on the top. You don’t want to overcook it because that makes it dry.

Enjoy hot or bake it at night for easy school mornings. I leave mine covered on the counter until we finish it. And love these reusable silicone covers.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these easy and healthy Baked Pumpkin Oat Bars! I’m joining my friends on this pumpkin recipe blog hop so make sure to check out the other recipes as well.