Pumpkin Granola Bars

I love fall and I love pumpkin!  I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin pie Blizzards, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake...... Oh, I could go on.  Since most of those pumpkin items are reserved for an occasional treat, I decided to find something made with pumpkin that was fairly healthy and I could eat on a regular basis.  Enter pumpkin granola bars.  I found this particular recipe from the "Girl makes Food" blog: http://www.girlmakesfood.com.  

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg so I used Allspice)

1 ½ cups Rolled Oats

½ cup Walnuts (I didn't have walnust so I used sliced almonds)

¼ cup Cranberries (I used Craisins)

¼ cup Chocolate Chips (optional - I used semi sweet mini chips)

1. Mix together the pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, nutmeg (allspice)

2. Add the oats, walnuts (almonds), cranberries, and chocolate

3. Mix well and tip the whole lot into a greased 9×9 pan (I used an 8x8)

4. Use a spatula to press down the granola into the pan

5. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes

6. Allow to cool then cut into bars

7. Store in an airtight container in the fridge

These came out soft and a little chewy except the corner pieces which had some crunch to them.  I cut mine into 8 bars which makes the calories a little high - right around 160 per bar.  You could omit the chocolate chips and get it closer to 125 per bar.  I really liked these bars and will be using them for a mid morning or mid afternoon snack.  I think these can definitely be added into the rotation and I'm sure you can change up the bar to suit your taste by using different dried fruits, nuts, and flavored chips.  Happy Fall!