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I dream about my Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars every time I gobble the last one up from the batch. So soft, moist, wholesome, and chock-full of banana and peanut butter flavor. The chocolate chips are dreamy too. 
I’ve had an itch to remake the bars with a little fall-ish makeover. Sub some pumpkin for the bananas, some molasses for the peanut butter, and fill them with pumpkin spice and everything nice. Love love love.
I’m in a pumpkin-state-of-mind these days and there’s no turning back.
Until, of course, it’s time to roll out the green & red Christmas sprinkles.
Pumpkin-chocolate-oatmeal was my regular breakfast some years ago. A sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of cocoa powder, a spoonful of honey, a smothering of pure pumpkin, and chewy, buttery oats were the start of my fall days.
It’s been a few years since I made my pumpkiny oats, but the taste and texture comes to my mind whenever the air begins to cool.
Pumpkin and oats go hand-in-hand for me, so I knew this recipe would turn out perfectly.
Plus, there’s chocolate. 
The pumpkin leaves these bars soft and moist, exactly like my original recipe with bananas.
The oats give each bite a chewy texture. I use old-fashioned whole rolled oats in my recipe, not quick oats. Quick oats are finely ground up whole oats, and would leave these bars with little texture. I typically never use quick oats in my recipes. I’m not a fan!
The molasses & brown sugar blend give the bars a rich sweetness and depth of flavor.
You could use any type of molasses in these, just go by your taste preference. I used dark molasses, which is less sweet than light molasses but slightly sweeter and easier to handle than black-strap molasses.
I also didn’t use too many chocolate chips in these. I opted for mini chips and only used 1/2 cup. I didn’t want the chocolate to overpower the pumpkin.
The bars are dense, but not heavy. They’re low in fat, but NOT in flavor.
I love that I didn’t have to clog these bars with any extra fats like oil or butter. There was simply no need for it! Healthy AND tasty recipes DO exist.
Perfect as quick pre-workout fuel or a wholesome mid-afternoon snack.
Serving suggestion: warm up in the microwave for 15 seconds. Grab a napkin.
OMG. I was left with melty chocolate on my face and pumpkin on my fingers.
A recipe success, no?
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makes 16 bars
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick oats)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup almond milk (regular or soy milk would be fine)
- 1 large egg (or vegan option, below)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin, milk, egg, and molasses. Mix together until evenly combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Do NOT overmix.
- Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into bars. Bars stay fresh for up to one week in a covered container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
adapted from Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
These bars can easily be made vegan by using vegan chocolate chips and using a “flax egg” instead of a regular egg. Flax egg = mix 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes while it “gels” up. Use the "flax gel" as a replacement for the egg.
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
1 bowl. 1 pan. Easy clean-up. 20 minutes. Healthy. Low-fat. Quick. Chocolate.
BOOM. That’s my kind of recipe!
PS: some similar recipes include…
Dark Chocolate Apricot Granola Bars
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars (the original recipe!)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Granola Bars
Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Do you have any healthy recipes using pumpkin?
I’m always looking for some ideas!
{ 91 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t believe I am saying this but I seriously want pumpkin right now
In these bars of course!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..Guest Post #3: Chocolate Amaretti Torte
Thanks Uru! I can’t get enough of pumpkin already and it’s only the beginning of September!
Ahhhh pumpkin! Made my first fall recipe this weekend, and now my mind is racing over what else?????
These look great Sally!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets recently posted..Dark Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies
You have my mind racing with mint & chocolate with your peeeerfect crinkle cookies.
These DO look perfect!!!!! I am definitely already in a pumpkin state of mind, and I will definitely be giving these bars a try! Holy yum!
Colleen @ What’s Baking in the Barbershop?! recently posted..Squash (Er, Pumpkin) Yogurt Smoothie
Thanks Colleen! So glad you share my obsession with pumpkin lol! I’m not the only one!
Am I missing it, or is the pumpkin not in the recipe? How much do you use?
Hey Mindy! The pumpkin is listed under the milk! Sometimes my recipes get all messed up and out of order when I hit publish (darn technology!), but I just made sure that it is there right now!
OMG these look amazing. I want to put pumpkin in everything right now.
(I found you via trick or treat Tuesday)
Katie recently posted..OMG…Zombies…
Hey Katie! So glad you said hi! Pumpkin is taking over my kitchen these days
Pinning this recipe for sure! I’ve been craving pumpkin more than I’ve ever craved it before, and this looks like a great healthy way to satisfy my craving. I think I’ll try subbing the whole wheat flour with almond flour..hopefully it works out!
Meghan @ After the Ivy League recently posted..So Long Summer
Hey Meghan! Thanks for the pin. Let me know how the almond flour substitution tastes! I’m curious to try it.
Eek! These look AWESOME. I love that your granola bars are so wholesome and yet, so delicious looking! They aren’t those stupid scrawny packaged ones that I need 800 of to even fill me up remotely. Plus, those stupid packaged ones don’t have amazing flavors like THIS. Holy pumpkin, girl! They look amazing!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel recently posted..Golden Oreo Peanut Butter Moon Pies
packaged granola bars are like candy bars and literally leave me hungry for more! no staying power at all.. you are so right!
These are perfect! I would love to have these around to snack on!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction recently posted..Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt
Sally they look amazing! I have a recipe that I worked on last week involving pumpkin, choc chips, brown sugar, molasses, 1 egg…girl. We should swap kitchens or have a real life cook-together meetup
Pumpkin, choc chips, the fact that these are bars, only make 8×8, chewy, YES –all of it. Delicious!
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..Zucchini Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Oh my goodness, we really ARE on the same wavelength! can’t wait to see your pumpkin recipe.
If I get on the banana bandwagon, we’d be blog twins 
I sure have missed pumpkin!! Good to see it back after so long
These look delish
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes recently posted..Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts
Great post! I invite you to join me today (and every Tuesday) for Tone Up Tuesdays Link Up! A place for all things healthy living, fitness, and overall well being! Recipes, workouts, motivation, struggles, tips, tricks, and accomplishments!
http://www.feedingmytemple.com/2012/9/4/tone-up-tuesday
Allison Sullivan recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday
Hey Allison! Thank you so much! Headed over now!
I love using old fashioned oats in recipes. If you’re going to eat oats, you might as well eat the really healthy ones, right? These bars look awesome, packed with tons of yummy ingredients and flavors.
Laura Dembowski recently posted..Cinnamon Biscoff Puppy Chow
I couldn’t agree more Laura! I swear by the old fashioned whole-rolled kind.
Totally love these! You’re inspiring me to make oatmeal-granola-healthy concoctions Sally!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Crazy Sweet Tuesday
I’d go nuts for anything you baked in the oatmeal-granola-healthy category Dorothy!I’m sure you’d come up with something fabulous over on crazy for crust
!
these look fabulous sally! i love pumpkin and i love your Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars, so i’m sure these are fab too.
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef recently posted..Iced Tea with Ginger-Mint Simple Syrup
Thanks so much Sarah!
I made these this afternoon. Loved them! Fast and easy to make, nutritious, and crazy delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
April! That’s so nice to hear. I’m glad you liked them, thanks for letting me know!
EEK! Sally, you are amazing! You know I love pumpkin anything, and these? Look to.die.for. Seriously! I have been looking for a healthy snack I can take to the office during the week (I usually need something around 2:30 to perk me back up), and I can totally see THESE doing the trick. Love, love, LOVE!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl recently posted..Pumpkin Latte Coffee Cake
Thank you Ashley my dear! It’s funny that we both posted pumpkin recipes today. I feel that will happen a lot int he next few months.
These are a perfect snack.. I had one today after lunch. 
Yum!! I am so excited for pumpkin! (and all things fall
) These look awesome!
Heidi @ Food Doodles recently posted..Raw Vegan Chocolate Cherry Mini Tarts
I’m very excited for everything about the fall too! Thanks Heidi.
I am a sucker for any pumpkin recipe! I’m so excited to start some fall baking! These bars sound great!
Christina @Sweet Pea’s Kitchen recently posted..Brown Sugar Pecan Pear Muffins
these look SO good and the PERFECT fall treat!! i love that it’s a granola/oatmeal bar..i can easily take this to work and nosh on it all morning…but who am i kidding? it’ll be gone in 2 bites
Julie @ Table for Two recently posted..Love Elaine Giveaway
I just had my last one yesterday and need to bake more because I KNOW I’ll be craving one sitting at my desk at the office! Thanks Julie
Yum!!! Pumpkin is everywhere right now and I’m SO loving it!!!! Gorgeous, as always Sally
Ashton @ Something Swanky recently posted..Brownie Pie Pops
Thank you Ashton! I can’t wait to see the pumpkin recipes you share this fall!!
These bars are perfection, Sally! And hey, with the oats, I could eat these for breakfast!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. recently posted..Skinny Bitch Tuesdays: Veggie Pot Pies
Yup… Stephanie.. a couple of these babies WERE my breakfast last Saturday
I just adore pumpkin. I love that pumpkin can be added to basically any meal! These oatmeal bars look wonderful!
Jen @ Jen’s Favorite Cookies recently posted..Roasted Garlic and Brie Twists
I love the versatility of pumpkin too Jen! It’s perfect for anything.
Bring on the pumpkin! Holy cow these sound and look delicious!!
ring on the pumpkin… i couldn’t agree MORE!
These sound amazing! I love the gooey look of them, and microwaving them sounds like a definite good idea
Anna @ hiddenponies recently posted..First on the First: Cantaloupe Peach Soup with Blackberry Drizzle
Yep… I highly suggest warming them up. SO good, melty, and gooey. Love!
These bars look fabulous! Healthy, but still extremely tasty! These would be the perfect snack or even grab-and-go breakfast – I love it!
Erika – The Teenage Taste recently posted..Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Yep, I love simple snacks and quick b-fasts like that!
These look fabulous! Hooray for Pumpkin!
katie recently posted..Key West Grilled Chicken Wings
These gems would be perfect little snack to pack in my lunch! Love!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} recently posted..Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Panini
I’m so happy to see pumpkin recipes popping back up in the blogosphere – that means fall is almost here. HOORAY!
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..apple, cheddar + bacon quesadillas
woohoo! you and i alike, Amy! love love love pumpkin
Yay for a pumpkin recipe! These look incredibly dangerous – I think I’d eat the entire pan!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Green Smoothie
Chung-Ah – I seriously almost DID eat the entire pan in 3 days.
Mmm, I can almost taste these through the screen. Pumpkin season has arrived!! I love that you use whole wheat flour here, between that and the pumpkin and oats, it totally offsets the chocolate chips.
Liz (Little Bitty Bakes) recently posted..Summer the SOYJOY Way (Giveaway!)
I am so happy to see pumpkin everywhere…it is making me so happy and ready for fall to be here!!! Pumpkin is my muse for now!! These granola bars have my name all over them!!! And I actually like that you didn’t use a ton of chocolate (did I really just say that?) that way the pumpkin shines through:-)
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life recently posted..Fiesta Chicken Salad
Hooray for pumpkin season! I love adding pumpkin to everything, and these bars look amazing!
luv what you do recently posted..Almond Butter + Zucchini = Bread
I absolutely Love baked goods that have pumpkin in them and when you add chocolate, it makes them just that much better! I made these only minutes after you posted and couldn’t get enough of them <3 Definitely making these again soon. Probably tomorrow.
hi again nichole! SO GLAD you enjoyed these. they are, absolutely 100% one of my FAVORITE granola bar recipes. love pumpkin & chocolate
Hi Sally,
What could I substitute the milk with (I want to make these for some friends but one is allergic to most, if not all, dairy)? Would water work or would that not add the right texture or flavor? Thanks!
Hi NG – Do not use water. Instead, use almond milk or soy milk. In fact, I used vanilla almond milk here. You can find small cartons of each. Don’t use water though – you need something with a slightly creamy/milky consistency.
Just finished making these and sampling. I used Blackstrap Molasses and skim milk b.c it was what I had in my cupboard/fridge, and I found them too molasses-y and not sweet enough. Must be a preference thing though because my 3 year old just gobbled it down in about 4 seconds!
Good to know it will be eaten and appreciated and that it has good stuff I can actually pronounce in it. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Maybe I’ll try tweaking it and try it again. Would honey work in place of molasses? Hmm . . .
Hi there! Yes, honey would work well too. I liked the molasses b/c it gave the oatmeal bar a more traditional autumn flavor taste. I’m making them this weekend, actually and I might try honey!
I think I’ll try them again with the honey. Of course . . . I don’t have any honey. Must add to the list.
Skooks recently posted..You Missed It the First Time . . . Now You Can Enter Again!
Oh – also, I don’t know if I came back and commented on it, but I’ve made the pumpkin cinnamon sugar mini muffins several times now and they are crazy delicious. That one is a new classic in our house now!
Oh my goodness… I just happened to come across your website, and I now have at least 20 new recipes to try! These Pumpkin bars will most defiantly be first on my list! I love baking, and find it ironic that my name is Sallie too! Thanks so much for these wonderful recipes. Happy Baking!
Hi Sallie! I love that we share a name. You don’t find too many Sallys these days anymore! I’m so glad you are enjoying my site and the recipes! Let me know what you make! These bars are a good place to start
These bars where absolutely incredible…. and I love how I didn’t feel completely guilty after eating them either, since I knew everything that was going into them! They where a huge hit in my family, and I know I’ll make them again during the holidays!
Hi Sallie!
SO SO glad you enjoyed the bars – they are one of my favorite “bar” recipes! I plan to make them again around thanksgiving 
I just made these last night. The flavor is really good but the texture is not what i expected. I used a flax “egg”, maple syrup instead of molasses, and cooked my own pumpkin instead of using canned, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. They came out kinda floppy. They were not chewey or crunchy like a granola bar. I assume, that is not how they are supposed to be based on your pictures. Any idea what happened here?
Hi Mari! So sorry they didn’t turn out. The bars are not crunchy – they are soft oatmeal bars. Molasses is much much thicker than maple syrup and held the bars together very well. They weren’t crumby in the slightest. Could you explain more what you mean by floppy? Like falling apart? Was the flax egg fully gelled?
Not sure how to tell if a flax egg has fully gelled – b/c that was the first time i have done it, but i did follow your instructions. They are not crumby or falling apart. They are sort of like a crepe texture but thicker.
The flax egg must not have been in “gel” form – the egg is the structural binder holding the bars together. The molasses is thick and supplements the eggs’ binding properties. Are you vegan? If not, try it with an egg. I’ve made this with a flax egg, canned pumpkin, and molasses and they’ve turned out perfectly. So sorry Mari!
Making these as we speak for my thanksgiving weekend out of town
is it possible to substitute anything for the molasses? i’m not sure where to buy it. i never see it in stores and i have busloads of maple syrup in the house
thick molasses is a binder and accentuates the pumpkin’s flavor. I have *not* tried substituting it for anyhting, but you could try honey, maple syrup, or dark corn syrup.
These looked really good but didn’t turn out well. The texture was a bit too gluey and they didn’t seem baked after the recommended time
Hi Kate, so sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the oatmeal bars.
The same thing happened to me this morning. It was alright since it was like oatmeal but I couldn’t get my kids to try it. Why do you think they didn’t firm up? I will go make some of your granola now- it is a huge hit in this house.
Sorry about that Linda! I appreciate everyone’s feedback. The bars were baked through at my recommended time, but I can try a few more test rounds to see if it should be adjusted on my recipe card. I hope you enjoy my granola, which kind is your favorite? Thanks Linda!
Actually the longer they sit the more they are firming up. So far my boys like the Almond clusters the best- even the 1 yr old. Hubby wants me to make them ALL and always have them in the house for snacking. Today is apple cinnamon and perhaps peanut butter cup!
Found your site recently and I’ve been clicking around like crazy. There are so many recipes I want to try! This is the first recipe I made – sorry, but I couldn’t eat them – they were way too molassesy for me. However, I remade them with honey instead and they are amazing!!! My new favorite bar that I will for sure be making again and again.
Hey Erika! I love the flavor of molasses, so I don’t mind how pungent it is. But I will offer the suggestion of honey to my readers when I test that option. Thank you so much for reporting back! I’m so glad you found my website. Let me know what else you make. thank you!
Been waiting for the right moment to make these bars (they’ve been on my Pinterest board for a while now). I’ve decided to freeze them and include them in my kid’s lunches. I used maple syrup instead of molasses (because I didn’t have molasses) and halfed the cloves/nutmeg. Turned out lovely. Almost cake-like. Hopefully the freezing goes well!
Hi Chandra! That is great to hear! I’m glad the bars work wel with maple syrup. I’ve never tried to make them with it. Good to know.
Thanks for reporting back!I’ve been craving pumpkin these days, maybe I should make another batch soon. Thanks Chandra!
Hi Sally – just reporting back that freezing them worked out very well. My girls love having them in their lunches! In fact, I need to make some more!
PERFECT! Great to know. Thanks for the report back Chandra.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Sally! I like to make healthy baked goods for my 3 year old daughter, but unfortunately, some of them she won’t even try. These bars she gobbled up! Yay!
That’s so wonderful to hear Heather!! I love these pumpkin oatmeal bars so much. Definitely a favorite!
I forgot to ask you this. My daughter’s 4th birthday is coming up soon and I’m making your funfetti cupcakes for her. I’m so overwhelmed by all your delicious recipes that i can’t decide on another treat to make for her. What do you suggest?
Does she like peanut butter? what about these: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/02/17/smore-peanut-butter-cookies/
These are popular as well: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/09/recipe-round-2-cake-batter-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Peanut butter and chocolate are her favorites! Thanks for the ideas Sally:)
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