This is a simple recipe for a quick treat. Stirring them up takes less than 10 minutes, and they don’t require any butter or eggs, which makes them perfect for a vegan snack, or for when the fridge is empty!
Ingredients:
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup (softened honey can be used instead – the honey variation offers a touch less flavour but they tend to stick together a bit nicer)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups Rolled Naked Oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate pieces (we like to use unsweetened chocolate pieces, and find that the sweetness of the bars blends nicely)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Press mixture firmly into a greased 8×8 pan, and bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool in the pan before slicing into bars.
That’s it, that’s all! A very simple snack that’s infinitely variable: try mixing it up with your favourite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit combinations, but resist the temptation to add much extra as this can make the granola bars more likely to crumble apart.
Pumpkin puree also freezes really well, so if you portion pumpkin puree into small ziplocks then you’re ready to go next time you want to mix up another batch.
I also like tripling the recipe and spreading it out on a 9×13 cookie sheet…just in case a single batch runs out before you get your fill…
Variation (shown in photo):
Use honey instead of maple syrup, and leave out the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts and be sure to make the chocolate pieces a dark unsweetened chocolate. Leaving out the dried fruit really accentuates the pumpkin and makes for a richer flavour combination.