These healthier pumpkin oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They only need 3 ingredients and don’t contain any flour, eggs, dairy, refined sugar, butter or oil. They take only a few minutes to prepare and store well.
A stack of four Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

These pumpkin oatmeal bars work well for breakfast, snack or dessert. You can also easily customize them to add other flavors and textures.

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin
  • Quick Oats
  • Maple syrup

Pumpkin: These oatmeal bars are made with pumpkin puree. I used canned pumpkin puree but you can also use homemade pumpkin puree.

Quick oats: Quick oats are rolled oats that are thinner and smaller pieces. Quick oats work better for this recipe because they bind better and soften and cook more quickly.

Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is added to sweeten the bars. You can also use other liquid sweeteners like honey as a substitute.

Optional Add-Ins

  • Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon: If you like cozy fall spices in your pumpkin desserts, you can add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to the oatmeal bars.
  • Cashew or almond butter: For a richer and more buttery flavor in your oat bars without using dairy butter, you can add 1/4 cup of cashew, almond or peanut butter. If you use peanut butter, you will taste the peanut butter. Cashew butter has a more mild flavor so you won’t really be able to taste it as much.
  • Chocolate chips or dried fruit: For more sweetness or texture, you can add chocolate chips or dried fruit.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars on a wooden serving board

How to Make Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

  • The pumpkin, maple syrup and quick oats are added to a large mixing bowl and mixed together with a spatula until you have a thick batter.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan and use your spatula to spread it evenly across the pan.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes or until the bars are cooked and set. Let them cool fully before cutting and serving.

Texture

These oatmeal bars are soft, chewy and lightly sweet. They will not taste as rich as classic oatmeal bars because they are meant to be healthier oatmeal bars.
A bite taken from an oatmeal bar

Expert Tips

  • You can adjust the sweetness to suit your personal preferences by adding a little more syrup or adding a sweet mix-in like chocolate chips.
  • You can make half the recipe and bake in an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars cut into squares

More Oatmeal Bar Recipes

4.77 from 13 votes

3 Ingredient Healthier Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

These pumpkin oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They only need 3 ingredients and don't contain any flour, eggs, dairy, refined sugar, butter or oil. They take only about 5 minutes to prepare.
Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups (324g) pumpkin puree
  • 3-4 tbsp (44ml-59ml) maple syrup
  • 2 cups (175g) quick oats

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
  • Add pumpkin, 3 tbsp maple syrup, and quick oats to a large mixing bowl. Stir and mix with a spatula until the ingredients are evenly mixed and the oats are fully incorporated. Your batter will be very thick. Taste, and if needed, you can add a little more syrup. If adding any spices or mix-ins, add them in now.
  • Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the bars set and cooked through. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • These are meant to be healthier pumpkin oatmeal bars so they are not as rich as regular oatmeal bars. Check out "Optional Add-ins" section in the post for other things you can add to the bars for more flavor and texture.
  • I used Whole Foods Pumpkin Puree,* Happy Belly Quick Oats* and Kirkland Maple syrup for this recipe.
  • These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 75kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 1mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 13
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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