Is there anything better than chocolate in the morning? I'll wait... in my opinion, there isn't anything better. And this is why I love these healthy pumpkin oatmeal bars with chocolate chips. The chocolate is optional of course, so you could leave them out, or use nuts instead. But I will say, there is just something about having a little chocolate for breakfast that feels so right.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars Made With My New Fave- Oat Milk!

My new obsession is oat milk! Since I use milk mostly in the morning with my matcha latte, I am pretty particular about whats in there. I want it to be tasty of course, but also give me lots of froth and creaminess. And nothing gets my matcha latte frothier than oat milk. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly suggest trying it. It is also a lot more sustainable and eco-friendly than nut milks like almonds. As almonds require a lot more water to grow.

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If you are looking to make your own oat milk, it is fairly easy and straightforward to make. But because oat milk is so delicious and froths like a dream, it is becoming more and more mainstream. You can find lots of different brands and types across various grocery stores now, which is great. If you are sensitive to gluten, make sure, that you are using certified gluten free oats.  

How to Make These Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

I love making these breakfast bars because they don't require a lot of ingredients and are really simple to whip up. Plus they taste great cold, which makes them perfect for meal prep.

Recipe Swaps

For these pumpkin oatmeal bars, I kept them vegan by using a flax egg. If you don't have flax seeds or can't use them, you could just use regular eggs instead. I also kept these bars relatively low in sugar, by only using 1/4 cup maple syrup for the whole recipe. Because I was using chocolate chips, I knew that would add additional sweetness. If you omit the chocolate chips, you may wish to add a little more sweetener to them. It really depends on your own preference.

The type of chocolate chips I use and recommend, especially if you have any nut/dairy allergies are these ones from Enjoy Life.

How to Store Your Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

Once you have finished baking these pumpkin oatmeal bars, you can let them cool for a bit. And then store them in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5-6 days. They actually taste really great cold and make for a great afternoon snack, or breakfast. They are kind of like having baked oatmeal, just in a bar form.

If you opt for drizzling some melted chocolate on top as I did, you can just let that harden in the fridge after. But, if you want to omit the drizzle of chocolate, I think a drizzle of almond butter would be great on top too!

I hope you enjoy these pumpkin oatmeal bars as much as I do. If you do make them, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment/rating or review below.