Pumpkin Date Oat Bars

These were amazing! I got the recipe from My Darling Vegan but did some slight changes.  These bars were great and didn't last long at my house.  I left them in the fridge overnight and the next day they were perfectly solid.  Give it a try and see how you like these.  

Pumpkin Date Oat Bars by Megan Kelly MK Roots Wellness

Pumpkin Date Filling

·      1 Cup Packed Medjool Dates (pitted and soaked for 30 minutes)

·      1 Cup Pumpkin Puree (or sweet potato)

·      1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup

·      1 teaspoon cinnamon

·      ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

·      ¼ teaspoon salt

·      ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

·      Zest of 1 large orange

 Oat Crumble

·      2 ½ Cups GF Rolled Oats

·      1 Cup Almond Meal

·      ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·      ¼ teaspoon baking soda

·      ¼ teaspoon salt

·      ½ cup maple Syrup

·      ½ cup coconut oil

 Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an 8x8 baking sheet and set aside.

Soak the pitted dates for 30 minutes. Drain and place in a food processor along with the remaining pumpkin filling ingredients. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

For the oat crumble combine oats, almond meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir together. In a smaller bowl whisk combine coconut oil and maple syrup. Add the coconut oil/syrup mixture to the oats and stir to combine.

Pour half of the oat crumble on the bottom of the prepared baking sheet and press down. Top with the pumpkin filling, smoothing even with a spatula. Finish by sprinkling the remaining oat crumble evenly over the top. Press down lightly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until crumb is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.