Double Pumpkin Breakfast Bars

Packed with nutritious ingredients, gluten and egg free. Melty chocolate, chewy golden raisins and crunchy pumpkin seed make these Double Pumpkin Breakfast Bars delightful to eat for breakfast with coffee or tea or as an afternoon snack with a cold glass of almond milk.

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I’m such a child of a child of the Great Depression

My parents were born in 1927 and grew up on Mississippi farms during a time when you only ate what you could produce. Food was scarce, and anything that was left from one meal went right into the next one. My mom was one of 11 children, so you can bet her mom saved even the tiniest scraps to keep all her kids fed!

And yet my mom and her sisters raved about their mom’s cooking. It seems that she could take even the most mundane ingredients and make them into something amazingly delicious.

I guess that’s where I get my obsession with creating interesting food with what I have on hand. My favorite way to cook is to look in the pantry and/or the fridge, see what’s available and cook a meal from those ingredients.

Recently, I was experimenting with a new soup recipe and thought that canned pumpkin purée would be just the thing to thicken and flavor the base. Well, turns out I thought wrong!  What to do with the half can of pumpkin I had left? I considered muffins and pancakes and quick bread but settled on these yummy double pumpkin breakfast bars.

Double Pumpkin Breakfast Bars ingredients

To make these gluten and dairy free bars you’ll need:

Oats. Use old fashioned oats and not quick or instant oats. Grind half the oats into flour and add the other half whole for better texture. Oats are naturally gluten free, but if you’re baking for someone with a serious gluten intolerance be sure to search out gluten free oats.

Flax Seed. High in fiber and Omega-3 fats. Flax seed also make a great egg replacer in baked goods: in place of one egg, mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for about 10 minutes before using.

Brown Sugar. Brown sugar contains molasses for a deeper, more caramely (is that a word?) flavor.  Did you know you can make your own brown sugar? Just rub 1 tsp molasses into 1 cup granulated sugar with your fingers.

Baking powder + soda. To lift and lighten the bars.

Salt. To enhance flavor and reduce bitterness.

Cinnamon. I’ve used a full tablespoon of cinnamon here to accent the pumpkin flavor. You could also use pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have.

Pumpkin. Make sure you have pure pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.

Peanut Butter. I use natural unsweetened peanut butter. If you use the sweetened kind, you may need to use less added sugar.

Apple Cider Vinegar. I know! Surprising, right? Using vinegar is an old trick to get a better rise out of baked goods that don’t contain eggs.

Pumpkin Seed. High in antioxidants, magnesium and fiber. Said to promote prostate health. I love em for the crunch and the nutty flavor! You may substitute chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans (though they’ll no longer be DOUBLE pumpkin breakfast bars…)

Chocolate Chips. I keep a giant bag of semi sweet chocolate chips in my pantry so that’s what I tend to use in my recipes. You can absolutely substitute milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips if that’s what you like. Or, yes, you can leave them out but that would be very sad : )

Golden Raisins. There’s just something exotic about golden raisins. Use them here for chewiness and a pop of sweetness, or if you don’t have golden raisins you can use regular raisins or dried cherries.

You’ll also need:

9″ Baking Pan.

Parchment Paper.

Ninja Fit Personal Blender or a coffee grinder.

Mixing bowl.

Flexible spatula.

Measuring cups and spoons.

How to make Double Pumpkin Breakfast Bars

1. Line an 9″ baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Pulse 1 cup oats, flax seed, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a Ninja Fit Blender to a coarse flour consistency (see Recipe Notes for alternatives). Add to mixing bowl.
3. In the unwashed blender container, purée pumpkin, peanut butter, water and vinegar til smooth. Add to the dry ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well. Let rest for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°.
4. After 10 minutes (when the oven reaches correct temperature) stir in the remaining 1 cup oats, chocolate chips, pumpkin seed and raisins. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Top should feel soft but not squashy.

recipe notes

Why do you let the batter rest while preheating the oven?

Letting this gluten free batter rest gives the oats and flax seed time to absorb the liquids and soften before baking. It helps the batter firm up and become less sticky and less crumbly as well.

What if I don’t have a blender?

You just need some way to pulverize the oats and the flax seed. If you have a coffee grinder you could use it (after cleaning well!). You could also use already ground oat flour and ground flax seed.

How do I toast the pumpkin seed?

You can toast pumpkin seed in the oven or on the stove top. My favorite way is to preheat a cast iron skillet on the stove. When it’s hot, add the seed and stir or shake the pan as they cook. They’ll begin to pop (like popcorn!), and some will undoubtedly fly out of the skillet. Just keep shaking the pan until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and pour the seed onto a plate or bowl. Try not to leave them in the skillet as they will continue to cook and might burn (ask me how I know…)

how to store Double Pumpkin Breakfast Bars

Store in storage bags or in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-5 days. If it’s hot and humid in your house it might be best to freeze the bars. Don’t store them in the fridge as it will dry them out.

can i freeze them?

Absolutely! Place in freezer bags or airtight storage containers and freeze for up to 3 months.