Homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

{Obviously this is before they were cut into bars.}

I'm discovering that the homemade version of foods that are generally store-bought and not homemade are so much better. It's totally worth the extra effort to enjoy a homemade bagel fresh from the oven or homemade applesauce or a homemade granola bar instead of one packaged in plastic. Honestly? These granola bars really did not require much extra effort to make. They were super easy, and I think it's safe to say that they are kid-approved. I made these bars for my Children's Church class at church and the kids kept commenting about how much they enjoyed this snack. One third-grader even asked for the recipe!
This recipe makes an 8x8 pan, which is about 12 bars. They are pretty thick, so I'm guessing you could make them in a 9x13 pan for thinner bars, but I haven't tried it yet. Leave a comment if you try these and let me know what you think!

Pumpkin  Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
adapted from: The Sweets Life
Yield: 12 bars

What You Need
3 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

What To Do
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and 8x8 baking dish.
2. Whisk together oats, spices, and salt in a large bowl
3. In another bowl, mix together brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Add to the oat mixture and mix until oats are coated.
4. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.
5. Press mixture into prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting in to bars. Cool completely. Pin It