Go Back

One Bowl Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars with Maple Drizzle

One bowl pumpkin oatmeal bars with maple drizzle—soft, chewy, and studded with oats and pecans. Whisk, bake in an 8x8 pan, then cool completely before drizzling for warm melt-in sweetness.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
cooling + drizzle set 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the bars
  • 0.75 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar Packed light brown sugar.
  • 0.25 cup pure maple syrup
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter Melted and slightly cooled.
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
  • 1.5 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup chopped pecans (optional) Optional.
For the maple drizzle
  • 0.75 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp milk Add 1 tsp at a time until thick enough to ribbon.
  • 1 pinch fine salt Pinch.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin oat bars
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for lifting.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk until the mixture looks glossy and fully combined.
  3. Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt over the mixture and whisk them in. Whisk until no streaks remain and the batter begins to thicken.
  4. Fold in the oats, flour, and pecans (if using) until the batter is thick and no dry spots remain. Mix just until the flour disappears and the batter holds together.
  5. Spread the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a damp spatula. Press gently so the surface is even.
  6. Bake for 25–30 minutes at 350°F until the edges are golden, the center feels set, and a toothpick comes out clean. Watch for a firm center that doesn’t jiggle and lightly browned edges.
  7. Cool completely in the pan for about 1 hour. Leave it undisturbed until room temperature so the drizzle won’t run.
Make and add the maple drizzle
  1. For the drizzle, whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt until smooth. Whisk to remove lumps.
  2. Add milk 1 tsp at a time until the glaze is thick but falls off the whisk in a ribbon. Aim for a ribbon that drapes slowly rather than flowing.
  3. Drizzle the glaze over the bars in zigzags and let it set for 10 minutes. Look for a dull, set surface before cutting.
  4. Lift the slab out by the parchment and cut it into 16 bars. Use the parchment as handles to transfer cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the bars fully before drizzling so the maple glaze stays thick and doesn’t soak in. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (wrap tightly) if you want longer storage. For a dietary swap, use certified gluten-free all-purpose flour to make them gluten-free while keeping the same method.