These vegan pumpkin oatmeal bars bring cozy fall flavors to your morning. Make them in the slow cooker for a gluten-free, portable breakfast to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings!
I will never be one of those people who forget to eat. I don’t understand how that’s even a thing. But I do get that you can’t do breakfast right if you have to spend the precious morning hours actually MAKING it. After all, you could be using those moments of pre-day, pre-work freedom to have an extra 6 cups of coffee!
That’s where these sweet pumpkin oatmeal breakfast bars come in. They’re dense, soft, perfectly spiced and crunchy (hi pecans!) and they’re packed with wholesome, chewy oats. And best of all you make them in the slow cooker, and I’m seriously voting for slow-cooker breakfasts for ALL my morning meals. Make them ahead and all you do is grab, munch, and go – or grab, go, and then munch depending on your schedule. And these bars are super filling, loaded with that yummy pumpkin spice we humans find pretty much irresistible, along with happy-whole-food vibes that will keep you smiling until lunch. Promise!
Are Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Healthy?
These breakfast bars are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and made without refined sugar. They clock in at a modest 107 calories, pretty good for a bar that’s satisfyingly sweet and gives you 2 grams of fiber. Looking for more protein in your breakfast? These bars are perfect alongside your favorite protein-rich smoothie. Or add some nuts or nut butter to your morning meal or bring along a container of yogurt or dairy-free yogurt.
What Is Pumpkin Spice, and Can You Ever Get Enough of It?
Believe it or not, there was a time when pumpkin spice was used almost exclusively to flavor pumpkin pie. That’s right, no pumpkin spice lattes, no pumpkin spice pancakes, no pumpkin spice margaritas. Today this spice blend is so popular and so widely marketed that it actually has its own recognized season lasting from the end of August through December.
Typically the blend contains cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sometimes cloves or allspice – no actual pumpkin despite the name. If you find yourself with an inordinate craving for the spice there may be some scientific backing: Especially when combined with sugar, scientists believe our brains are trained to remember the flavor, making it a nostalgia magnet that keeps us coming back for more. If you find yourself seasonally obsessed with it you’re not alone!
How To Make Ahead and Store
Stored in an airtight container, the bars will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them (preferably with parchment or wax paper between them) for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or on the counter for about 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Sold on breakfast bars? The chocolate-peanut butter combo in these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Bars is pretty irresistible. While we’re on the subject of peanut butter, who wouldn’t be intrigued by Cacao Peanut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Banana, a recipe that swaps out the usual chocolate for cacao powder and nibs? And if like me you believe everything is better in the slow cooker, Energy Quinoa Breakfast Bars In the Slow Cooker may be in your future.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups pumpkin purée canned
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup oat flour (103g)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped, divided
Instructions
- Trace the bottom of a 7-quart slow cooker on a large piece of parchment paper (a slow-cooker liner works well too!) and cut, making it a little bit bigger than the trace. Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with cooking spray and press the parchment into the bottom, letting some overhang to use as handles.
- In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.
- Add in the oats, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and 1/4 cup of the pecans (reserving the rest for later.) Stir until well mixed and a thick dough forms
- Spoon the batter into the prepared slow cooker and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.
- Cover and cook until the top feels set, being careful not to over-bake. This takes 1.25 to 2 hours on low. Turn off the slow cooker and let the bars cool inside for 1 hour.
- Then, gently lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into bars and DEVOUR!
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
I hope you do not mind if I retyped your recipe into the new WW program on my account. It came out as 2 points per bar. The only thing I changed was the coconut sugar as it was too many points so I substituted Swerve Brown Sugar. They smell wonderful. I can hardly wait to try them tomorrow morning with my coffee. Have you ever frozen them?
Hi Linda, Hope they tasted as good as they smelled! You can surely freeze the bars and keep them for up to 3 months in the freezer.