Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip and Pecan Granola Bars

First off, Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving! I hope you had a wonderful holiday full of delicious foods 🙂

Once in a blue moon, having tons of cookies and brownies and other sugar-filled treats around the house can get very monotonous. Sometimes, my family isn’t as willing to have cake for breakfast (and every other meal of the day) as I am, which leaves me with a great big plate of delicious calorie-laden treats. However, being smack in the heart of pumpkin season and with Thanksgiving close enough to touch, these granola bars will be a great way to get into that Thanksgiving spirit without overdosing on pumpkin before you eat the entire pie.

Typically before school in the mornings, I don’t have enough time to have a “real” breakfast, so granola bars tend to be my breakfast of choice. Once I made these, school mornings got so much easier! The crunch of the pecans is a great contrast to the sweetness of the cinnamon chips, and the pumpkin granola with the aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg are like a party in my mouth. Not only do these smell and taste amazing, but they’re a nice way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit without eating turkey every day this week. 🙂

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip and Pecan Granola Bars- From Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 10-12 Bars

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups rolled oats (Regular, not instant or quick-cooking)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (Fresh grated is better!)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 8×8 baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pumpkin, honey, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until the oats are fully coated. Add in the cinnamon chips and pecans.
3. Scoop into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and cut into bars and serve!

Don’t be surprised the morning after when only crumbs are left!

– Rayna 🙂

(Sorry for the not-so-fantastic pictures, it was dark when I took photos :/)