Chewy Pumpkin Pecan Granola Bar [bake]

My first PUMPKIN bake (&first bake granola bars) - Chewy Pumpkin Pecan Granola Bar.

It's true that taste preferences change as you age. Some of the ingredients I used to hate not like so much are the ones I frequently eat nowadays. I used to not like eggplants, and now my mom's stir fried eggplants has become one of my favorite dishes. I don't like bananas, but I have grown an appreciation for the natural sweetness and nutritional qualities it brings to my baked goods. Another one is dates. They are the perfect binder for my no bake granola bars and a much healthier alternative to refined sugar.

In this recipe, I am playing with some more new ingredients to expand my pantry.

puffed millet
pumpkin puree
applesauce
ground flax seeds

Pumpkin, applesauce, along with honey are the main binder for this granola bar.

Chewy Pumpkin Pecan Granola Bar

recipe adapted from two peas & their pods

makes 12-15 granola bars

2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup puffed millet
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
70g (a little less than 1/4 cup) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8" baking pan and set aside.
>>optional: toast oats/nuts/seeds and cool before combining
2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, salt, nuts, and seeds together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in puffed millet.
5. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 45-40 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
8. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.
>>bars were crumbly and soft. After cutting into bars, return back to oven at 350F for 15 mins.

Lowering the brown sugar from the original 3/4 cup to 1/4 cup resulted in only 9g of sugar per bar (or 11g per bar for 12 bars). These are lightly sweetened with a delicate warm pumpkin flavor. I kind of miss the sweetness and would probably throw in a couple pureed dates next time when I am making these.

I took them out of the oven at 35, cooled for 5, and attempted to cut them into bars. The bars were very crumbly (a little moist) and ended up falling apart a bit. I proceeded to cut 15 bars and returned them back to the oven.

The bars dried out a bit more, and all the crumbs that fell out turned crispy/crunchy just like granola! Puffed millets are actually chewy. I was expecting them to resemble more like rice krispies. The overall texture of the bar was chewy with crunchy edges and nuts/seeds. 

These are great wholesome snacks to keep you full through the day! My dad said he felt like he was eating rice!

Taste: 3.5 stars out of 5

Still in the process of acquiring a taste for pumpkin.

Texture: 3 stars out of 5

Chewy bars with slightly crispy edges and crunchy fall outs.

Honey Almond Cacao Nib Granola Bar [no bake]

Four days later and with about 3 bars left of my first homemade granola bar, I made them again. This time- Honey Almond Cacao Nib! These bars are customize-able in infinity ways to suit you. I love how they are packed with fiber and protein and kept me away from snacking on junks.

For the most part, these granola bar are healthy.. but what?!?!? 20-22g of sugar PER BAR?!?!?! They don't taste excessively sweet at all.

In order to stay healthy, the American Heart Association recommends no more than six teaspoons, or about 25 grams, of added sugars per day for women, and nine teaspoons, or about 36 grams, for men.

I guess the high sugar content can be somewhat overlooked because these bars stopped my cravings for more sweets. I was satiated and sweetly contented. My goal is to eventually get to a bar that is around 8g of sugar. That way, I can eat more than 1 a day.. 

Granola Bar

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

makes one 8x8 pan (about 12 bars)

Base:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, roasted

1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted (10 pieces)

1/4 cup honey

Variables:
18g coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw almond pieces, roasted

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 cup coconut flakes, roasted

2 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Toast oats, almonds and coconut chips.

Chia seeds and cacao nibs.

Honey and cinnamon.

Pulse the pitted dates.

Sticky soft dough ball like.

Combine everything in a bowl.

Mix mix mix thoroughly.

For written step by step, click here.

LET's COMPARE.

Left: last time; Right: this time.

This is the same general recipe as last time EXCEPT

• 10 pieces of dates vs 13 pieces last time
• 1 cup is roughly 8-9 dates, but mine are on the small side
• honey in place of maple syrup
• 18g melted coconut oil in place of peanut butter
• almonds in place of pecans
• cacao nibs in place of pumpkin seeds
• extra 1/2tsp of cinnamon 

The number of dates is slightly decreased and peanut butter is omitted all together. This bought the sugar down from 22g to 20g per bar. The result of all the changes in the liquid portion made the bar a bit more crumbly and less sticky. I prefer this change.

Last time: gooey and sticky

This time: noticeably less sticky, held together nicely.

Next time,

• Decrease to 8 pieces of dates
• Omit honey and put back 1/4 cup nut butter
• Try a bake version for crunchy texture

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Sweetness is just right to taste but would like to bring it down to 8g on the nutritional. 

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Great balance of chewy and crunchy.

Peanut Butter Pecan Pumpkin Seed Granola Bar [no bake]

MY FIRST GRANOLA BAR.

& they are #momapproved.

Simple, no bake and packed with wholesome ingredients!

Eat them for breakfast, mid morning snack, afternoon snack, or anytime throughout the day when your snacking addiction kicks in. 

I must first confess that I was never a fan of granola bar.
(I am ok with the KIND bars.)

But, I better restate that now.. 

Homemade granola bars are THE BEST!

&Look at the two store bought granola bars and their ingredient list below..

Yes, homemade is the one and only way to go with granola bars.

Long ingredient list o_o

Peanut Butter Pecan Pumpkin Seeds Granola Bar

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

makes one 8x8 pan (about 12 bars)

Base:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, roasted

1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted (~13 pieces)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Variables:
1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter
1/2 cup raw pecan pieces, roasted

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted 

1/4 cup coconut flakes, roasted

2 tbsp chia seeds

Drain the dates.

Maple syrup and peanut butter.

Mix mix mix.

Press press press.

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain and a dough- like ball forms.

*I pitted and chopped my dates, soaked them briefly in hot water and drained before processing.

**Next time, I would wash and drain them whole first.
2. Toast oats/nuts at 350F for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Toss occasionally.

*I added the coconut flakes in for the last 5 minutes.
3. Place oats/nuts/seeds and dates in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.

5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.

7. Remove bars from pan and chop into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge/freezer. 

This is a super versatile recipe, and there are limitless flavor and texture combinations to play with.

Here are some other things I already have in my pantry that i can't wait to add into my next granola bar:

• almonds (whole and sliced)
• cacao nibs
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• matcha powder
• applesauce
• bananas
• coconut oil
• white sesame seeds
• black sesame paste

I would also love baking them to see how that changes the texture. These no bake were on the moist side and were sticky to touch. 

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Absolutely tasty and satisfying for the sweet tooth.

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Good balance of crunchy and chewy.

Re-purpose the parchment paper that lined the pan to store these bars!

#nobakenovember