Pumpkin Granola Bars

Since school is back I need breakfast foods that are quick, easy, and grab-and-go friendly. I usually buy a bunch of granola bars, but they never really fill me up and they're expensive. This semester I've been making my own breakfast cookies and granola bars. Their cheap, easy, and you can make big batches and freeze them. Now, with fall in the air, pumpkin is on my mind.

Here is a recipe that was inspired by a post from one of my favorite foodie blogs My Baking Addiction. If you've never been there check it out. Another woman by my own heart. These granola bars are a great freeze-and-grab option for busy mornings. They thaw out in under 15 minutes, so by the time I get to class they are ready to go.

Pumpkin Granola Breakfast Cookies

adapted from My Baking Addiction - Pumpkin Granola Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Can't find it? Don't want to pay for it? Make your own! Be the master of your granola bar destiny! MBA Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend) 

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg white

1/4 cup applesauce 

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla 

Add up to 2 cups total of your choice of nuts, candy, chocolate chips, dried fruit, whatever you have lying around. I used chocolate chips and walnuts.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine oats, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl.
Mix brown sugar, pumpkin puree, egg white, applesauce, honey, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth.
Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Mixture will be firm.
Spoon by heaping tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Flatten into cookies (these wont really change shape during baking).
Bake 25-30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars

A couple weeks ago I was travelling to North Carolina for work. It was an early flight and, like every other time I've had an early flight, I couldn't sleep the night before. Typical. 

So, like any rational person would do in that situation, I baked.
I am a couple weeks away from leaving Colorado to go back to Iowa, so I am trying to get as much of my food cooked and gone as possible. I took stock of my kitchen. This included some old bananas, a little oatmeal and honey, and whole wheat flour. I decided on Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars, since I wouldn't have anything for breakfast otherwise.
I had never made them before, but I skimmed a recipe and made changes to use up what I had on hand. That's what you should do. Anything you need to get rid of, just throw it in here. It's a very forgiving recipe.

Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Bars
adapted from Eat. Drink. Love - Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

2 mashed bananas

3/4 cup peanut butter - crunchy or creamy

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or unsweetened applesauce for a low-fat option)

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup rolled oats 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine bananas, peanut butter, honey, oil/applesauce, and vanilla in a bowl. In another bowl combine oats, flour, and baking soda. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, until a thick batter forms. Stir in any chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit. 

Spoon dough on to a greased or parchment lined baking sheet, about 1/4 cup per bar. Form into bars or cookies. Bake 15-20 minutes. 

UPDATE: I have been making these as an rushing off to class/work/meeting breakfasts. I just make  them according to these directions, bake, and put into individual snack-size freezer bags. I can grab one on the way out the door and it's thawed by the time I get where I'm going. I got a little overzealous with the last batch and made 1/3 cup bars, so I've been splitting them in half and pushing them off on my friends.