After School Snack: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

It’s back to school season and moms everywhere are scrambling to get back to a normal routine. After a fun-filled summer, transitioning to the everyday rush of getting out the door on time, school drop-off and everything else can be hectic. My girls are still home this year but I wanted to come up with an easy and healthy after school snack to share with my mom friends; something to make life a little easier! These pumpkin chocolate chip granola bars are full of nutrient dense ingredients and are SO good!

Disclosure: this post is sponsored by Hood® but opinions are my own.

Fall is my favorite season; bring on the cooler weather, changing leaves, hot coffee and pumpkin spice everything! I love a seasonally themed snack and these granola bars came out better than I could have hoped. They are just the right mixture of dense, sweet and chewy. Plus, they are a perfect after school snack because they are easy for your kids to grab themselves and travel well if you have after school activities to get to.

We paired our granola bars with a glass of Hood® Whole Milk in the LightBlock® Bottle for some added protein. My girls still love drinking a cup of milk when they wake up in the mornings and usually have one more cup throughout the day. I’m happy they still love it because the calcium and vitamin D are great for their growing bones. We always count on Hood because of their promise for providing premium, high quality milk in every drop! They also use the LightBlock Bottles that protect their milk and ensure a delicious taste every time!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

When I bake with the girls I like to keep recipes quick and simple because you know how toddlers can be (and two of them is a whole different ball game). This recipe is seriously simple and definitely a good one for little helping hands. I like to pre-measure all of the ingredients into easy-to-pour bowls and cups so that my girls can take turns easily (and peacefully). I also give them each a mixing spoon of their own because, duh, that’s the funnest part!

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside. Next, you’re going to add and mix the oats, pepitas, chia seeds, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt and chocolate chips together in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl add and mix the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla together. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour this mixture evenly into the 8×8 lined pan and then compress it. Bake 20 minutes and let cool completely before cutting bars. Store them in the fridge (I found this helped them set really well).

Side story: during our mixing process one of my girls was drinking some of her Hood Milk and I was a little distracted, so when she asked me “milk?” and I said “yes” assuming she was asking if she could have some. She continued to dump the rest of her milk into our granola bar mixture, hah! We had already mixed everything together so I kind of just had to go with it. It’s safe to say adding a few tablespoons of Hood Whole Milk will not affect your recipe negatively.

Next time I make this recipe I am definitely making a double batch because we all loved them so much! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and am planning on stock piling these granola bars for a quick snack between feedings. I feel like they’ll make a great postpartum snack full of protein, healthy fats and fiber! This thought just came to me too – these would be great to break up and eat with some Hood Milk for more of a cereal texture. I guess I’ll try that next time too!

So there you have it, a healthy and easy after school snack for your kiddos. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you try them any other way!

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