PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP ENERGY BARS

Ingredients

• 3 cups dry, uncooked oatmeal (I used gluten-free thick cut oats)
• 1 cup all-natural pumpkin puree
• 1 cup all-natural peanut butter, or almond butter
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 4-6 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (if ‘dough’ seems too wet, then I add more ground flax, if it’s too dry, add less…start with a smaller quantity)
• 1 cup small chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, coconut flakes, or any combination of mix-ins that equal 1 cup total
• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips (You could use dark chocolate/cacao pieces, or just skip them altogether.)

Directions

Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very thoroughly mixed. Roll into balls of about 1″ in diameter.