Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars are the perfect snack to munch on all October long. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, making them the perfect healthy-ish dessert, cheeky breakfast or afternoon treat to go alongside a cup of tea. 

Even though the seasons are flipped here in Australia, October still means all things pumpkin to me! Maybe it’s seeing all the pumpkin-filled recipes across Instagram and Pinterest, but I can’t help but want to delve right in. 

These vegan pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars are my take on the pumpkin trend and are a perfect snack to have around the house for when you need a little nibble. If you’re looking for a healthy-ish dessert option, these might pass the test. They: 

• Sneak in some veggies, thanks to pumpkin puree
• Are made without any refined sugar, thanks to coconut sugar
• Are gluten-free, thanks to a combo of oat flour and coconut flour
• Are 100% vegan-friendly

Making Your Own Pumpkin Puree

Anyone who’s based in Australia will understand: Getting canned pumpkin is A CHALLENGE. In the US, it’s super easy to find canned pumpkin at any grocery store. But here? No such luck. 

Thankfully, making pumpkin puree is easier than you might expect. 

I like to make a big batch of pumpkin puree, saving it all for recipes to use throughout the week. You can even it alone as a side, with a bit of salt and spice added for flavour. I’ve also stirred it through my oats for breakfast, and it brings a lovely taste and texture. 

To make your own pumpkin puree: 

• Pour a bag of frozen pumpkin chunks into a colander or steamer basket
• Fill a large pot with about ½ - 1 inch of boiling water
• Steam the pumpkin by placing the colander or steamer basket into the pot
• Turn the heat to high, and cover the bot (and colander/basket) with a lid
• Steam for about 10-15 minutes, until all pumpkin is defrosted and soft
• Remove pumpkin from the pot, letting it sit in the colander or steamer basket for a few minutes, so any excess water can drain away
• Blend steamed pumpkin until smooth

Making Your Own Oat Flour

You’ll also see that this recipe calls for oat flour. Again, this is super simple to make yourself. 

All you need to do is put your oats in a blender, and blend until they’ve become a fine powdery flour. I recommend doing this as the very first step so that you can have all your ingredients ready to go as you bake these oatmeal bars.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

• Coconut sugar
• Pumpkin puree
• Coconut oil
• Vanilla
• Oat flour
• Oats
• Coconut flour 
• Baking powder
• Pumpkin pie spice/ mixed spice
• Pinch of sea salt
• Vegan chocolate chips

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📖 Recipe

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