Pumpkin Chocolate Granola Bars

I am a sucker for any recipes with pumpkin.  Don't ask me why, but I always have to give pumpkin recipes a try at least once.  So, I had to give these a try.  They were yummy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Granola Bars

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cup Rolled Oats
3/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup All Natural, Unsweetened Applesauce
1/3 cup Honey
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate (at least 85% preferred, but I only had Dark Chocolate Chips, so I used those)
1/2 - 2/3 cup Sliced Almonds
1 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
-  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and set aside.

-  Chop your dark chocolate into small pieces.  Again, I used dark chocolate chips, so I didn't chop mine, but I probably could have.

-  In a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together.  Set aside.

-  In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Pour the mixture over the oats mixture and stir well, until the oats are moist.

-  Stir in the dark chocolate and almonds.

-  Pour the mixture into the 8x8 baking dish.  Press the mixture down and spread evenly in the pan.

-  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.  (I baked mine for about 30 minutes.)

-  Keep in mind, the pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are gold and set, you don't want them to be under baked.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

-  Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut into bars.  Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

*Other Possibilities - you could also add dried cranberries or raisins to this for a good variation.

*Yields 12-16 servings.

 ENJOY!!!

Thanks for checking this out!

~Sarah Strubhar
Independent Team Beachbody Emerald Coach