Fall is almost here and that means pumpkin recipes are coming! And what’s better than a bar that combines pumpkin and chocolate?!

These bars were inspired by my 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Bars – hands down the most popular recipe on my blog!

And while this version has a few more ingredients, I have no doubt that you’ll love them just as much.

These bars are made with simple things like oats, canned pumpkin, peanut butter and banana. Because of that, they’re also full of nutrients too.

With fiber from the oats, vitamins and minerals from the pumpkin, and protein and fat from the peanut butter, they’re a pretty nutritious snack! I love them as breakfast or dessert too.

Plus, you can customize however you like. If you don’t want them as sweet, use less chocolate chips. If you prefer, you can also use dark chocolate chips too.

Don’t omit the maple syrup though – because these don’t use as much banana (which adds sweetness), maple syrup helps to counter the savory pumpkin to make these bars a little sweeter.

We can’t stop eating them in my house! I know you’re going to love them too.

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper.

Mash banana

In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana with a fork.

Add wet ingredients

In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana with a fork. Add the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

Add dry ingredients

Add the oats, pumpkin pie spice and salt to the salt. Mix until well combined.

Fold in chocolate chips

Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for the top of the bars.

Pour into pan

Pour mixture into the loaf pan, using a spatula to smooth out the top. Add remaining chocolate chips to the top.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out smooth.

Cool

Let the bars cool down after coming out of the oven.

Cut

Cut bars into 8 squares.

Serve

Serve for dessert or as a snack!

Notes

Banana: Make sure your banana is super ripe so that it adds plenty of sweetness. If it’s not ripe enough, try placing it on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes on 300 F. The banana peel will turn black but the inside will be nice and ripe for baking.
Pumpkin: Using canned pumpkin puree is best. You’ll have some leftover. Put it in Tupperware in the fridge to use for another recipe (like this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread).
Peanut butter: I’ve used a sweetened peanut butter when making these bars. An unsweetened version will work too, the bars will just be slightly less sweet. Your preference!
Chocolate chips: I like using mini chocolate chips in this recipe.
Baking tips: The bars will be very soft and not feel super firm — this is normal! Let them cool before cutting as they’ll continue to cook as they cool slightly. If you want firmer bars, can add 1/4 more oats to batter.
Mix ins: If you want to elevate these bars even more, add in additional mix ins like chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds.
Storage: Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month.

Course: Breakfast, Snack