Baked Oatmeal Snacks

I'm a big fan of snacking. And when you have dietary restrictions and work out a lot, it's a good idea to have healthy, tummy friendly snacks on hand to avoid eating naughty things when you're ravenous. Here are two of my favorite snacks made with oats.

CHEWY GRANOLA BAR BITES from Shape.com

Ingredients Makes 6 bites

• 1 cup old fashion oats
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon will also work)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line muffin tin with paper cups. Combine oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, chia seeds, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk and egg white into oat mixture. Divide batter among six muffin cups. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until batter is fully set.

*This was my first time using silicon liners. They're amazing, I highly recommend trying them!


PUMPKIN PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS from loveveggiesandyoga.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter 
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• (I added 1/2 cup chocolate chips and cut the sugar in half)

Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir by hand.  Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan.  Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  The bars may still look underdone, but that’s ok because they will continue to set up as they cool.  Allow to cool very well before slicing.

*I had some leftover pumpkin puree from my Frosted Pumpkin Bars so I decided to make another type of pumpkin bar today. I also put a spoonful in a bowl of vanilla yogurt with nuts, seeds, and cinnamon and it tasted just like pumpkin whipped cream! I don't think I will ever get enough pumpkin.