Soft and chewy oatmeal bars that have all the flavors of pumpkin pie. These oatmeal bars need only 3 ingredients and don't contain any flour, eggs, butter or oil.
1/2cup (128 g)natural almond butter, can substitute with natural peanut butter
1 3/4cups + 2 tbsp (175 g)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 pie mix and almond butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are fully mixed and the mixture is uniform in color. Add in oats and stir until they are fully and evenly mixed in. You can taste and adjust sweetness if needed (by adding 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup or honey). If adding any mix-ins, add them in now.
Transfer batter into prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface. By smoothing the surface, you are also compacting the oat mixture which will help it bind during baking.
Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until the bars look set and cooked. The surface should also be dry. 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 oatmeal bars are meant to be healthier bars so they are not that sweet. If you prefer sweeter, you can add a few tablespoons of honey or maple syrup to the batter or add a sweet mix-in like chocolate chips or dried fruit. I added chocolate chips to mine.
I used Farmer's Market Organic Pumpkin Pie Mix which is sweetened with cane sugar. How sweet your bars are will vary depending on the brand of pumpkin pie mix you use. For example, Libby's contains more sugar than Farmer's Market.
Make sure to use natural almond butter which only has almonds in the ingredients and no added oils. If you use peanut butter, make sure it is natural peanut butter with no added oils. If you use peanut butter, you will taste some peanut butter flavor in the oatmeal bars which is why I prefer using almond butter because you don't really taste the almond butter.
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.