Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oat Bars
This recipe came to life simply because I had a few ingredients waiting for attention — a bit of pumpkin purée left in the fridge, a bottle of rolled oats that always seems bottomless, and a bar of dark chocolate that had been quietly forgotten for a while. I sat down and looked at what I had, and thought: How can I turn this into something comforting? Something that nourishes me through the week?
I wanted a bake that could be breakfast, a grab-and-go snack, or something lovely to pack up for a friend or bring to a small gathering. These bars are just that — soft, chocolatey, and gently sweet, not too sugary. They make sense with morning coffee, or alongside a late-afternoon tea when you need a little lift.
It’s a humble recipe — made from what’s already at home — but it feels comforting and thoughtful. I hope it brings you the same small joy it brought me.
Ingredients
• 2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
• ½ tsp (3 g) salt
• 1 tsp baharat, pumpkin spice, or five spice (any warm sweet spice you love)
• 2 large eggs (about 100 g total)
• ⅔ cup (135 g) light brown sugar
• ½ cup (130 g) creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup (85 g) honey
• 1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (200 g) pumpkin purée
Optional Topping
• 1 cup (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped or chips
• ½ cup (50 g) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Flaky sea salt, to finish
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Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Line a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 in) baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and spice until evenly combined.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, peanut butter, melted butter, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin purée.
4. Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined.
5. Spread and bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to press it evenly into the corners and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 23–25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top looks set.
7. Cool and finish: Let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.
8. Optional topping: Melt the dark chocolate and spread it over the cooled bars. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepitas. Let it set at room temperature or in the fridge until the chocolate hardens, then slice into bars.
