Easy 6-Ingredient Oatmeal Apple Pumpkin Bars made with healthy ingredients for a celebration of fall flavors! Whip up these easy pumpkin oatmeal bars to make the most out of apple and pumpkin season!
I’m back with another oatmeal treat and this one features delicious apples and pumpkin for a warmly-spiced fall treat!
The inspiration for this recipe came from craving my 6-Ingredient Apple Oatmeal Bars in addition to my 5-Ingredient Flourless Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars.
I couldn’t decide between pumpkin and apples, so I had to combine forces and the rest is history.
Made with all healthful ingredients, I view these apple pumpkin oatmeal bars as being a wholesome snack that can also serve as dessert.
The combination of pumpkin puree with fresh chopped apples, rich almond butter, warm spices and oats creates an array of experiences for the taste buds.
Just like all of my recipes featuring oats, these bars lasted a split second in my household. My husband and I found these oat bars to be the dreamiest autumn-infused snack to pop in our mouths between meals.
The key ingredient in these healthy pumpkin bars?
Pumpkin spice.
I know, shocking.
The combination of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice that comprises the delicious blend of pumpkin pie spice is what brings a collage of flavors to which our palates are so attracted.
It is the ingredient that makes fall baking truly fall baking if I’m being honest.
The texture of these pumpkin oat bars is soft and chewy. They are firmer than baked oatmeal but softer than a cookie bar.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for oatmeal apple pumpkin bars.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Apple Oatmeal Bars:
Canned Pumpkin Purée: Pick up a can of pureed pumpkin (not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling) to mix into these healthy oatmeal bars. If you make your own homemade pumpkin puree, you can use it here too!
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener here! Pure maple syrup keeps the bars refined sugar-free and also offers that subtle maple flavor to bring more fall flavor to the treat.
Unsweetened Creamy Almond Butter: Used as the glue to bind everything together as well as the fat content, unsweetened almond butter makes this easy dessert taste rich and flavorful and also takes the place of all purpose flour.
Rolled Oats: Use old-fashioned oats, quick oats or instant oats to whip up these pumpkin spice oatmeal bars. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need the recipe to be gluten-free. I use gluten-free sprouted oats.
Pumpkin Spice: The key ingredient that reminds us this is a fall-inspired treat! If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can replace it with ground cinnamon and the world will continue spinning.
Granny Smith Apple: Pick your favorite kind of apple, give it a chop, and toss it in!
I like using Granny Smith Apples to bring a little tart flavor to the otherwise sweet treat, but fuji apples, golden delicious apples, pink lady apples, gala apples, and any kind of fresh apples more will all work.
Sea Salt: Salt levels up the flavors of each individual ingredient to give the bars a well-rounded bold essence. Don’t skip it!
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the almond butter with peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, walnut butter, or cashew butter. If you use peanut butter, you will be able to taste the flavor so just keep that in mind when choosing which nut butter you use.
- If you aren’t into pumpkin, you can replace it with unsweetened applesauce.
- Are you a lush for chocolate like me? Add ⅔ cup of chocolate chips to make pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal bars.. White chocolate chips would be amazing here, as would dark chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and more.
- Use chopped pears or persimmons instead of apple if you’d like. Any fall fruit should work here.
- For a sweeter treat, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- If you have pure vanilla extract on hand, feel free to add 1 teaspoon.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp seeds for an infusion of omega 3 fatty acids.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients for these delicious apple pumpkin bars, let’s bake a batch!
How to Make Pumpkin Apple Oatmeal Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, spray the baking dish with cooking spray or grease it with coconut oil.
Combine the pureed pumpkin, pure maple syrup, and almond butter (the wet ingredients) in a large bowl and mix well until a thick, creamy wet mixture forms.
Add the rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt to the mixing bowl (the dry ingredients) and mix until a thick, sticky dough forms.
Mix in the chopped apple until it is well-distributed throughout the dough.
Spread the pumpkin apple oatmeal bar mixture into the prepared baking dish using a rubber spatula and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center tests clean (I do 30 minutes).
Allow the apple bars to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Store apple oatmeal pumpkin bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the bars in a large zip lock bag or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
You can bake the recipe in a muffin tray to make muffin cups for 15 to 20 minutes (or until golden brown around the edges) for individual portioned baked oatmeal.
The next time you find yourself craving both pumpkin and apples, make these pumpkin apple oatmeal bars! I’m willing to bet these breakfast bars will become one of your new favorite pumpkin recipes.
They are an easy breakfast option with complex carbs and healthy fats. Ideal for busy mornings!
If you’re into this pumpkin and apple combination, also make my Spiced Apple Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping.
Looking for more delicious fall treats? Here are some of my personal favorites.
More Fall Baking Recipes:
- Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
- Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Spiced Apple Carrot Muffins
- Healthy Apple Oatmeal Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Healthy Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
A few minutes of prep time and a simple ingredient list brings us pumpkin goodness in a jiffy! Get ready for your entire house to smell like the flavors of fall!
6-Ingredient Oatmeal Apple Pumpkin Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 large granny smith apple peeled, cored and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, spray the baking dish with cooking spray or grease it with coconut oil.
- Combine the pureed pumpkin, pure maple syrup, and almond butter (the wet ingredients) in a large bowl and mix well until a thick, creamy wet mixture forms.
- Add the rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt to the mixing bowl (the dry ingredients) and mix until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Mix in the chopped apple until it is well-distributed throughout the dough.
- Spread the pumpkin apple oatmeal bar mixture into the prepared baking dish using a rubber spatula and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center tests clean (I do 30 minutes).
- Allow the apple bars to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I love the taste of these bars however mine are so moist they fall apart. I have tried baking them in a larger pan, baking them as a cookie, still they fall apart. The taste is incredibly and such healthy ingredients but messy to eat. I follow the recipe exactly. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Hi Carol! I think I can help troubleshoot what’s going on 🙂 What type of oats are you using? Are you allowing the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting them? Off the cuff, I would say it sounds like adding more oats will help significantly. Varying brands of oats can produce different results, so I would try adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup of additional oats and see if that helps. In addition, if you can avoid cutting the bars before they have cooled, this will help too! Thanks so much for the sweet note, and happy baking! xo
Since the recipe only calls for 3/4C d Purred pumpkin, I had to freeze the remaining 1/4C. I’m thinking next time I could just use some smaller baby food packages?
Hi Cynthia! I like the idea of freezing leftover pumpkin puree for another project. A single-serve dessert like a pumpkin mug cake is perfect for using up a small amount of pureed pumpkin. 🙂 xo
Switched with homemade cashew butter and butternut squash from my garden and turned out incredible 😋 had to work with what I had on hand. Thank you for the recipe.
Ah yaay! I love that! Now I’m tempted to try the bars with butternut squash and cashew butter…sounds divine! xo
@Pamela, Great idea! Thanks for sharing, especially since my guy can’t have Almonds these days. 🙏🏻🤗💞
Good food n good taste,look a nice food.