Pumpkin spice nut free granola bars have those warm, yummy flavors of fall. With a variety of seeds taking the place of the nuts, these nut-free granola bars are a delicious treat, snack, or even breakfast with a cup of coffee or hot milk!
***This post was updated October 2021
This Nut Free Granola Bar Recipe is so delicious = You won’t even miss the nuts!
Fall Pumpkin Granola Bars
We are approaching the end of summer and the onslaught of pumpkin everything is coming upon us. I’m not complaining because seriously, this has to be the very best time of year.
If you’ve ever planted pumpkins, you know how they grow much like zucchini’s, and most of the time, we use pumpkin for carving or pies – but these Pumpkin Granola Bars are a fantastic way to enjoy even more pumpkin flavors…. And in a healthy-ish kind of way.
Ingredients Needed
Oats: Using quick oats brings the best results for this recipe.
Cranberries: Dried, unsweetened cranberries are best. You can use sweetened, but you might find the granola bars too sweet.
Sesame Seeds: Use the freshest you can find.
Pumpkin Seeds: Also called pepitas, use the freshest pumpkin seeds you can.
Orange Zest: Freshly zest is perfect.
Pumpkin Pie Filling: Use the brand you like the most.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Adding a bit of extra spice helps amp up those warm flavors.
Maple Syrup: The darkest syrup you can find is perfect.
Vanilla Extract
Applesauce: Unsweetened is preferred, but use what you have on hand.
The Four Steps to Make These Granola Bars
- In a bowl, combine all the wet ingredients.
- Then combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Add the extra ‘add-ins’.
- Bake, cut and cool!
Super easy, right? (and also super delicious!)
PRO TIP: Roasted or unroasted seeds are fine to use in this recipe. Use what you have on hand!
The beauty about these fall granola bars is that they’re not over-sweet like the conventional granola bar is.
They have the sweetness from the maple syrup and the cranberries, but they also have the added crunch from the sesame seeds and pepitas. Lastly, the soft chewy texture from the oats really rounds out the flavors of this pumpkin granola bar.
Substitutions
If you don’t have dried cranberries, you can use raisins as well. Adding coconut strips or shreds would be delicious and as for more or different seeds, you could substitute or simply add for more nutrition, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp, and sunflower seeds.
You may want to add an extra few tablespoons of maple syrup if you want to add more seeds to the recipe, just to help them bind better.
Storage for the Granola Bars
Guess what? These nut-free bars freeze like a dream! Freeze them on parchment paper, single-layered in an air-tight freezer container.
Leave them overnight in the fridge to thaw, or remove a few that you want from the container and leave them on the counter for 30 – 40 minutes before serving.
Pair these gorgeous fall granola bars with a coffee, a tea, or a latte and you’d be set for quite a few hours! For a kid-friendly snack, serve with hot chocolate or milk. Warming the milk just adds extra coziness to the whole snack, and these pumpkin spice bars are perfect for dipping!
These aren’t your ordinary granola bars… go ahead and give them a try! Let me know what you think. I bet you’ll love how easy and delicious they turn out!
PUMPKIN SPICE NUT FREE GRANOLA BARS
Healthy, sweet, crunchy with those famous "fall" flavors, these nut free granola bars instantly transport you to crunchy leaves, pumpkins and sweater weather. Enjoy these with a cup of warm apple cider, pumpkin spice latte, or warm steamed milk! YUM!
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup oats
- ½ cup pumpkin pie filling
- ¼ cupC applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablepsoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Use a greased 7 x 11 or 8x8 baking dish
- In a large bowl, measure the oats and set aside.
- In another bowl, mix syrup, pumpkin, applesauce, and vanilla together.
- Pour over oats and mix very well.
- Add the cranberries, and sesame seeds.
- Fold everything together ensuring everything is mixed well. Press into a greased pan.
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cut into bars and let cool completely. Refrigerate up to a week.
Notes
1. Use the freshest ingredients possible.
2. If you don't want to grease the baking dish, you can also line it with parchment paper. The advantage to using parchment paper is that you can use the corners of the paper to lift the entire recipe of granola bars out of the pan to cool.
3. Cut the bars while they are still warm and pliable. After the cool, it may be more difficult.
4 If you don't have dried cranberries, you can use raisins as well. As for seeds you could substitute or simply add for more nutrition, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp and sunflower seeds. Add a few extra tablespoons of maple syrup if you add more seeds to help the bars bind together before going into the oven.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 39mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 6g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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