As the weather cools off, there’s nothing better than a warm bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Buuuut there’s not always time to make stove-top oats in the morning, so baked oatmeal bars have become my new go-to. If you don’t like the texture of typical oatmeal, baked oatmeal may be the way to go. It’s like a cereal bar and a muffin had a baby!
These Pumpkin Oat Bars are also the perfect way to use up the canned pumpkin left over from holiday baking. I mixed in walnuts but you could also use pecans, chia seeds, and/or chocolate chips.
If you’re not into pumpkin, you could also replace the pumpkin puree with ¾ cup mashed banana.
After the baked oatmeal cooled, I cut it into squares, wrapped them individually, and stuck them in the fridge for an easy grab and go. I like them cold, but if I have more time I’ll reheat them and add my favorite toppings: a splash of milk, banana slices, and almond butter.
These bars would also be perfect for Thanksgiving morning breakfast.
Baked Pumpkin Oat Bars
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup protein powder, vanilla or unflavored
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, protein powder, baking powder, spices, and salt.
In another larger bowl, whisk the pumpkin, syrup, milk, egg, and vanilla.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in walnuts then pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the middle is set and the oats are golden brown.