These tender keto pumpkin bars have an oatmeal-like texture for a satisfying breakfast treat. Full of healthy fats and 10g of protein, they are perfect for busy weekday mornings. This post is sponsored by ChocZero.
Life gets really hectic for me in the fall. The kids have multiple activities and their birthdays are all within a few weeks of each other. I am also busy creating delicious keto holiday recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
So I try to have some easy breakfast treats on the go at all times. And in the spirit of all things pumpkin spice, I made these Keto Pumpkin Breakfast Bars again recently. This time with a high protein twist!
Now I’ve got a new low carb high protein recipe to add to my growing collection. I love grabbing one of these bars before I drive kids to school or head to the gym.
Why you must try this recipe
If you ask people what their favorite season is, a large proportion of them will say fall. There is so much to love about it. Cozy sweaters, fires in the fireplace, and hearty soups simmering on the stove. And pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!
These keto pumpkin bars are everything you want them to be. They have a texture similar to my keto oatmeal, but they hold together better so you don’t have to scoop them into a bowl to eat them.
They have just the right balance of pumpkin and spices, and the keto chocolate chips make them super tasty and visually appealing. I used ChocZero dark chocolate chips for my bars but they would be delicious with the milk or white chips as well. Rumor has it that they are coming out with some butterscotch chips soon, too!
These bars also have excellent macros for a healthy keto diet. 10 grams of protein per bar gives you a boost of energy to face a busy day or a tough workout. And they freeze well, so you can make them ahead and have them ready when you need them!
People who love recipes like Keto Pumpkin Muffins and Keto Pumpkin Pancakes are sure to love these easy breakfast bars.
Reader reviews
“OMG! These are so good! I made the pumpkin waffles the other day, so I still had the rest of the cam left over. It was perfect to make this recipe. I had to substitute pecans for the pumpkin seeds but it didn’t make much difference. Be sure to try this” — Tyra
“These have become a favorite! I do use a little Sukrin brown sugar substitute and use a little less swerve. It gives it even more flavor. Definitely a great and portable breakfast. It also freezes really well.” — Debra
“These were amazing. Very satisfying. Completely gave me that oatmeal feel and texture. Very easy to make.” — Jen S.
Ingredients you need
- Nuts and seeds: I used pumpkin seeds (shelled raw pumpkin seeds), flaked coconut, and sliced almonds. If you don’t like coconut, you can replace that with more sliced almonds in the same amount.
- Almond flour: Use a finely ground, blanched almond flour to help the bars hold together a little better.
- Sweetener: I like Brown Swerve in these bars, as the brown sugar flavor goes perfectly with pumpkin spice. See the Expert Tips section for more sweetener options.
- Collagen protein: Collagen protein powder (aka collagen peptides) adds texture and nutrition to these breakfast bars. It also helps them hold together better.
- Pumpkin pie spice: I usually use pre-made pumpkin pie spice, but you can also make your own.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure your pumpkin puree isn’t too watery, as it will make the bars very soft. If it’s not nice, thick puree, strain it to remove some of the excess moisture.
- Sugar-free chocolate chips: I like the addition of dark chocolate chip with the pumpkin but you can use chopped nuts instead.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Grind the nuts and seeds: In a food processor, combine the coconut, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Pulse until the mixture resembles oat flakes. You want them fairly well ground up, but some larger pieces are okay.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Transfer to a large bowl. Add the almond flour, sweetener, collagen, baking powder, pie spice, and salt and mix well.
3. Stir in the wet ingredients: Stir in the pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the chocolate chips.
4. Bake: Spread the batter in a greased 9×9 inch metal baking pan and top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the top is firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Expert tips
Make sure you blend up the nuts, seeds, and coconut until they resemble raw oats. They should be relatively small, with some larger pieces. If you leave them too coarse, the bars will be more crumbly.
You can use other brown sugar replacements or granular sweeteners in this recipe. But remember that allulose based sweeteners will make the bars brown much faster. I recommend dropping the temp to 325ºF if you use allulose. (The new Swerve Brown does not contain enough allulose to be a real issue here).
You cannot use other protein powders in place of the collagen. Whey and egg white protein will make the bars more cake-like. Collagen provides moisture and some chewiness to the bars.
The baking time listed is for a 9×9 inch metal pan. Glass and ceramic pans don’t conduct heat as efficiently and may take quite a bit longer to bake through properly. You can also use an 8×8 pan but that will also take longer to bake properly since the bars will be thicker.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s easy to make a dairy-free version of these bars. Use melted coconut oil or avocado oil in place of the butter.
This keto breakfast bar recipe has 7.1g of carbs and 4.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.9g net carbs per bar.
You can store leftover bars on the counter at room temperature for a couple of days or in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for several months. Bring the bars to room temperature before serving.
More delicious fall breakfast ideas
Keto Pumpkin Breakfast Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
- 3/4 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup collagen protein powder, (plain or flavored)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×9 inch metal baking pan.
- Place the pumpkin seeds, coconut, and sliced almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles oat flakes. You want them fairly well ground up, but some larger pieces are okay.
- Transfer to a large bowl. Add the almond flour, sweetener, collagen, baking powder, pie spice, and salt and mix well.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the top is firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely before cutting into bars.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I just cannot find shelled pumpkin seeds here in the US. What would be a good sub? Sunflower seeds?
You can’t? They are everywhere! I am based in the US and I see them all the time at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and even regular grocery stores. And definitely available on Amazon. Sometimes called “pepitas”.
Just made these… I had to bake them a second time @350F for 20 minutes after baking them for 25 minutes @ 325F…. they are cooled down now and not very flavorful. Will not make these again. Feels like a waste of my time and $ as ingredients are not cheap. Was really looking forward to these, but will have to find other recipes. This is just not with it. Something is wrong in the instructions/ingredients….. too bad
Sorry you feel that way and that they weren’t to your taste. But given the overwhelmingly positive response to these bars, I disagree that something is “wrong with the instructions/ingredients”.
Since you had to bake them again, I rather suspect user error in this case. Something was mismeasured, or you used the wrong ingredients.
So dang good!
So easy and flavorful! They’re perfect to eat in the car while I’m taking my kids to school.
i love the addition of pumpkin seeds!! My daughter is going to love these
I am always looking for new ways to mix up breakfast and these bars are perfect! Great flavor and very filling!
I love a low carb treat! Crumble makes these easy to eat quickly.
Thanks for the recipe, Carolyn. Like others who have commented, my bars turned out quite crumbly, but they do taste quite nice. After reading the comments, I added 1 T gelatin in hopes of solidifying the bars a bit more. I don’t know how well it worked; perhaps they’d be even more fragile If I hadn’t added it? I don’t think it hurt. I also had to bake them significantly longer, at least 20 minutes more. I attribute that to a difference in our ovens, since I have to bake your ultimate brownies and snickerdoodle blondies 10-20 minutes longer than the recipes instruct. Nonetheless, very tasty, and a great way to finish the can of pumpkin I had in the refrigerator! No rating because I think my adjustment was significant enough to preclude a fair rating of the original recipe.
Oh, I do want to clarify that they were crumbly when initially baked per the recipe instructions. I removed the pan from the oven and let the bars cool before cutting them. They were crumbly and quite wet still, so I baked them longer. Still crumbly, perhaps a bit more so, but less wet and a little firmer. ????
I haven’t made them because I don’t eat almonds.. but I really want to try this out with coconut flour.. I know how diff coconut flour is but perhaps you know how much to sub it for and how many more eggs lol I know it’s a long shot but just hopeful.
Thank you, Lin
Coconut flour is not a good choice here but you could try sunflower seed flour.
After sitting overnight, these pumpkin bars firmed up rather nicely. The texture is great at room temp. They’re really good, and I’ll probably make them again!
Just made this. I’m not a huge chocolate fan (yes, there are a few of us out there), so I skipped the chips. I used a 24-muffin pan, which was perfect for the chip-free recipe. I’m saying yum to this one. Thanks!
Could something else be used with the sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds instead of coconut flakes? Perhaps chopped pecans? Unfortunately, my husband despises coconut.
Just use more sliced almonds. That should be fine.
I am wondering if collagen powder would help with the crumble issue?? What do you think Carolyn? If that would be a go, how much would you use in the recipe?
In this recipe, collagen will make it very gummy.
Everyone is saying there’s turned out crumbly … I use xathan gum in all my keto baking and that has solved all my crumbling issues ????
How much xathan gum did you use?
I thought I had everything I needed, but once I started, realized I only had roasted pumpkin seeds in the shell. Anyone know, if I put them in the food processor instead of raw shelled… am I going to ruin this?
I wouldn’t use those… very tough and fibrous.
Very tasty! How do you get the tops to be so smooth? My tops were kind of “rough” looking.
Um… I don’t know? I just made them as I wrote them!
These were amazing. Very satisfying. Completely gave me that oatmeal feel and texture. Very easy to make.
These are a new favorite of my family. I was wondering if I could make these into muffins to make them more portable. Any thoughts? P.S. I love your new cookbook!
Sure, I can’t see why that wouldn’t work!
These have become a favorite! I do use a little Sukrin brown sugar substitute and use a little less swerve. It gives it even more flavor. Definitely a great and portable breakfast. It also freezes really well.
These are now my ‘go to’ breakfast. Quick, easy and so tasty.
Because of the comments about the crumbles, I added 2 Tablespoons of ground psyillium husks and an extra egg. No crumbles and very most.