Pumpkin Raspberry Oat Bars
Try this Pumpkin Raspberry Oat Bars recipe. A healthy, delicious snack perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack.
Try this Pumpkin Raspberry Oat Bars recipe. A healthy, delicious snack perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a quick snack.
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour (gluten free oat flour will work too)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
- 2 flax eggs (real eggs will work too)
- 1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (or sub more pumpkin for oil free)
- 2 t almond milk
- 1/3 cup jam of choice (i used homemade raspberry chia jam)
- Carbohydrate 5.81113020783731 g
- Cholesterol 0.204166666252445 mg
- Fat 3.47233854444973 g
- Fiber 1.75078129023314 g
- Protein 0.398869791323898 g
- Saturated Fat 2.98268177326276 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (30g)
- Sodium 103.737812489127 mg
- Sugar 4.06034891760417 g
- Trans Fat 0.211756250164918 g
- Calories 53 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In one bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
- In another bowl, add the pumpkin, flax eggs, almond milk and oil. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. I did this by hand with a spatula.
- Line an 8x8 glass dish with parchment paper leaving enough coming out the sides.
- Press ½ the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spread the jam layer on top.
- Lastly, add the remaining crumb mixture to the top.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Let the bars completely cool before removing them from the baking dish.
- I cut mine into bars with a pizza cutter.
Dense oat bars fail structurally when moisture imbalances prevent the starches from setting during the bake. Sorghum flour and rolled oats absorb significant liquid, requiring precise measurement to avoid a sandy crumb. Whisking dry ingredients thoroughly distributes the baking powder uniformly, ensuring an even rise across the entire eight-by-eight-inch pan. Folding wet components into dry elements with a spatula prevents overworking the gluten-free flours, keeping the final crumb tender rather than rubbery. Parchment paper lining permits safe extraction of the baked slab once set.
Managing Moisture and Jams
Raspberry jam adds concentrated fruit sugars that retain water, threatening the structural integrity of the middle layer. Spreading this fruit layer evenly prevents localized soggy pockets that cause the bars to break apart during slicing. Coconut oil contributes saturated fat that solidifies upon cooling, acting as a secondary binder alongside the pumpkin puree and eggs. Substituting extra pumpkin for the oil removes the fat necessary for that firm chill, yielding a softer bar that requires careful handling. Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes sets the exterior while maintaining moisture inside.
- Allow the slab to cool completely in the glass dish before lifting the parchment overhang.
- Use a pizza cutter on the chilled block to achieve clean edges without tearing the oat layers.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container to prevent ambient humidity from softening the crust.
