Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

Fall is a’comin! Well, for the rest of the country anyway. Here in Texas it’s not quite scarf weather but by golly I’m going to bake with pumpkin and eat it too.

Along with the rest of the boot-wearing, pumpkin-loving country I love autumn. The food, the clothes, the weather, the colors, the good hair days- everything about the season is fresh and crisp and cozy. Unless you live in Florida or Texas. I’ve had only a whisper of a fall for the last four years, but am holding out hope that THIS is the year. Either way, I’ve decided that when September hits it’s fall in my kitchen!

These Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars are everything you love about pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread in healthy granola bar form. Oftentimes store-bought granola bars are loaded with extra sugar, preservatives, and other unrecognizable additives. My goal with this recipe was use a handful of basic, healthy ingredients to whip up something that is almost as easy (and even more tasty!) than anything you’d find on the store shelves.

Making your own granola bars may sound like a laborious pursuit, but I promise this big batch recipe only takes ten minutes to put together, 30-35 minutes to bake, and that’s it! Nothing fancy or complicated here. Once they’re cooled you’ll have yourself a stash of whole food-based granola bars for your pantry or freezer, perfect for after school, pre-workout, or on-the-go snacks for the whole family. Or, you know, as a naturally sweet treat with a cup of coffee. These little guys are good!

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar Recipe Explained

This Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar recipe has three steps: mix the dry ingredients together, mix the wet ingredients together, and then stir in the dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

The most important step is pressing the granola dough into the prepared pan. Once you’ve poured the dough into the pan and distributed it into an even layer with a spatula or spoon, make sure to push down firmly onto the dough with the palm of your hand. Pack the entire top surface of the dough down really well. This will ensure we have nice dense, square granola bars instead of crumbly granola-like bars (although realistically, either would be delicious!).

Another way to prevent crumbly bars is to let the bars cool completely before cutting. It takes an enormous amount of self restraint, but it will be totally worth it! You can even refrigerate them for about 30 minutes before cutting to get nice even slices.

The Nutrition Breakdown

Each Pumpkin Spice Granola Bar (1/12th of the batch) has 200 calories and about 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

The main ingredients in this recipe are oats, almond flour, pumpkin puree, and honey. Simple, healthy, whole food ingredients that everyone can recognize. Oats and almond flour are high in fiber and protein, while the pumpkin puree contributes 25% of your daily Vitamin A intake per bar!

As for the mix-in’s: pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium and walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids (the healthy anti-inflammatory fats). These nuts and seeds add flavor, texture AND nutrition value to your homemade granola bars. You can of course substitute any other nuts, seeds, chocolate, or dried fruit to customize the bars to your liking.

These Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars are gluten, dairy, and egg-free. They can be modified to be nut-free as well (see recipe notes for details).

The Recipe

After baking five batches for recipe testing (I’m a perfectionist, ok?) we’ve been WELL stocked with Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars for the past few weeks. I like to keep them in the freezer, all it takes is about 15 or 20 seconds in the microwave and they’re ready to go. I love eating them in cereal form, crumbled over a bowl of oatmeal or topped with almond milk. They’ve also been a handy snack on our recent road trips since they’re easy to eat and don’t make much mess. Or, let’s be more specific, I don’t make much mess 🙂 I can’t say the same for Chris!

5 from 4 votes

Print

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

These healthy granola bars are made with whole food ingredients and are full of fiber and protein! This recipe is so easy to make and is perfect for freezing, so you can always have a satisfying snack at your fingertips. You can customize the mix-ins too: this dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free recipe is very adaptable.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F and line an 8 x 11-inch pan with parchment paper or foil.

2. Mix the dry ingredients: Add the oats, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.

3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, honey, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Stir well with a whisk or fork.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the oat mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated.

5. Add the mix-in's: Stir in the cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and chopped nuts (if using). 

6. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Use a spatula to evenly distribute the batter, and then use your fingers to press firmly down to pack the oat mixture as hard as possible. Make sure the corners and edges are well-packed as well. This is to prevent the bars from crumbling apart once they're baked.
   

7. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top and edges are golden brown, and the center is firm to the touch.

8. Place pan on a wire cooling rack, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, and let them finish cooling directly on the rack.

9. Let the bars cool completely before cutting. It's best to refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes or so before cutting to ensure clean edges.

10. Store in an air-tight container. These granola bars keep well at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Recipe Notes

• To make gluten-free use certified gluten-free oats.
• To make nut-free, try substituting the almond flour with oat flour, and substitute the optional chopped nuts for extra seeds (pumpkin or sunflower). Note: I have not tried the flour substitution myself.
• Customize the mix-in's according to what you like. Leave out the pumpkin seeds and nuts and add chocolate chips, sliced almonds, raisins, coconut flakes, or any other nut, seed, or dried fruit you enjoy.
• If you don't have an 8 x 11-inch pan, use a 9 x 13-inch pan instead. Your bars will be a little thinner and will take less time to cook.
• The Nutrition Facts per bar (including optional nuts) are: 200 calories, 9 grams fat, 28 grams carbohydrate, 3.5 grams fiber, 4 grams protein.