Pumpkin Granola Bars

Break out the Kleenex.... we all knew this day would come. Today marks the end of Pumpkin Mania. I will give you a minute to dry your eyes.

This is the last pumpkin recipe I have in my draft folder and while I still have one large can of pumpkin left in the pantry, I don't see any new pumpkin recipes in the near future. Pumpkin on Thanksgiving - YES. But new pumpkin for Thanksgiving - no.

These pumpkin granola bars are absolutely delicious and didn't last long around here. I didn't have all the ingredients on hand when I made them, so I changed a few things. How I ran out of honey I'll never know, but pure maple syrup was a good substitute. Also, I was out of applesauce, so I increased the pumpkin. Not sure how I ran out of honey and applesauce at the same time, but the changes still resulted in a great bar.

I hope you enjoyed all the pumpkin recipes over the last 2 months. I know I did!


Pumpkin Granola Bars
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don’t want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Makes 10-12 granola bars