Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I made these twice in 2 days. I made them the first time for a play group I was hosting and I was expecting to have some leftover. Alas, after everyone was gone, all that was left were a few crumbs. So, I set out to make them again the very next afternoon because they were really good and my kids devoured them. Kids can be finicky, especially when it comes to food, so when I find something that they will eat that's healthy, I stick to it. This is a great snack food that I feel good about giving my family.

I used pumpkin as a binder in this granola because I love the flavor and it's perfect for fall. If you don't like the flavor of pumpkin, you can substitute applesauce or another fruit puree.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey
*2-3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted (or other oil or butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8-inch square baking pan or an 8x11-inch bar pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, spices and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin, honey, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are coated and moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly press granola into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes. Carefully flip pan over onto a cutting board, or lift parchment paper out of the pan. Cut into bars and separate them a little bit so they can cool completely.

You can easily double this recipe, especially since they don't last long! Just bake it in a 9x13 pan.

*The first time I made the granola bars, I didn't use any oil but I thought I would add it the second time to see if it would make the bars a little more moist and plyable. There was not much difference between the two. The second batch was more moist but the oil didn't make them more pliable. Either way they were great.

SOURCE:Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

This recipe linked to Putluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen and This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking.