Hello, loves! I’m Kaitlyn, a self-taught cook who strives to give recipes a nutritious makeover. I absolutely love teaching others how to live a health-filled life, while still being able to enjoy the things we love…like desserts!

It’s all about the ingredients that go in to creating our food, and I strive to find the best ingredients to use, without all the processed sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives.

My desire is to leave you feeling encouraged and hopeful during your personal journey to health, and I do my best to convey that message on my blog, Kaitgmiller.com. 

Today I am sharing one of my all time favorite recipes, the Gooey Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Oat bars. These areaccidentally vegan, and absolutely amazing.  They remind me of the perfect mixture between a brownie and pumpkin oatmeal. I mean, how could you go wrong with that?? 

I make these gooey bars in bulk, so when I’m aimlessly wandering around the kitchen for something to munch on, I can grab a bar out of the freezer and reheat 30 seconds. They are seriously perfect reheated and paired with yogurt, almond milk, or ice cream, definitely ice cream. 

 XOXO - ♡Kait

Makes: About 16 Square Bars

Ingredients

- 2 1⁄2 cups oat flour **See notes

- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder

- 2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1 cup pumpkin puree

- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

- 1  tbsp grass-fed butter or coconut oil, slightly melted

- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (or about 1/4 cup of pure maple)

- 1/3 cup chocolate chips, like Enjoy Life

Optional: sprinkle of sea salt for topping

Notes:

*Make your own oat flour using a scant 3 cups of old fashioned oats and blending them up until they are a flour consistency.  I love using Arrowhead Mills oat flour for this recipe. 

**Use refined or expeller pressed coconut oil for a neural flavor. It has the same nutritional profile as unrefined coconut oil. 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray. You can use an 8x8 but it will take about 5-10 minutes longer to cook. 

3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. 

4. In a larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients: pumpkin, applesauce, vanilla, coconut oil or butter, and coconut palm 

sugar. 

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The batter will be very thick.

6. Fold in almost all of the chocolate chips 

7. Pour into the baking dish and top with a few more chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a fork comes out almost clean. Let cool. These don't really over cook and they are extra gooey. Cut and serve. 

Store in the fridge or the freezer. Reheat for about 20 seconds. 

I encourage the use of all organic ingredients if possible :)