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pumpkin granola bars | confections of a dietitian

The summer after my sister and I graduated from college, we found ourselves with a half-used bag of brown rice flour. Not wanting the flour to go to waste, or miss out on an opportunity to bake, we searched for a new recipe. We decided upon pumpkin granola bars, which I quickly fell in love with, or rather, with the concept of. I loved making my own granola bars. I could control the ingredients, they were always in the freezer for a mid-morning snack or quick breakfast at work and it gave me an excuse to bake every couple of weeks. I’m also in love with anything pumpkin, so pumpkin granola bars should have been perfect for me, but they weren’t. The recipe was loaded with sugar and oil and not much else. The bars were dry, but when I tried to add more moisture, they got gooey. My sister and I both tried to tweak the recipe, but after a few years and more changes than I can count, I still wasn’t satisfied.

One day, I had the brilliant idea to check Pinterest (duh!). At first, I just wanted to find similar recipes so I could continue to try to fix the one I was using. But then, I stumbled upon this particular recipe. It seemed too good to be true. Ground flaxseed. Almond milk. Chocolate chips! Pumpkin!!

pumpkin granola bars | confections of a dietitian

And guess what?!? It was exactly what I was looking for! This recipe is moist where my old recipe was gooey. The bars are low in fat and have minimal sugar, thanks to the addition of molasses, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Plus, the smells coming from the oven…mmm pumpkin spices.

pumpkin granola bars | confections of a dietitian pumpkin granola bars | confections of a dietitian

These granola bars have become my new “go-to.” They are quick to make, freeze really well and are something I can feel good about eating at work, after the gym or whenever I need a quick snack.