“It’s a crisp Sunday morning and I wake up to the slightest bit of sunlight peeking through the blinds. After looking to the other side of the bed, I see that my husband and son have left me to sleep in. This realization instantly makes me feel the most well-rested I’ve been in the past few months. I unwrap myself from my nest of pillows and blankets, stretch out the kinks in my muscles and crack open the bedroom door. The inviting aroma of bacon and coffee seduces me out of brushing my teeth before heading downstairs, where I see my cheery husband, happy baby and breakfast waiting for me.”

That, my friends, is what my romance novel might sound like. And while these story-book mornings happen every once in awhile, most of the time we’re running on fumes and rushing out the door with a travel mug in one hand and a piece of fruit or toast in the other. It’s these typical, hectic mornings that I need the sustenance of a full breakfast, but don’t have the time to either make it or sit down to enjoy it.

My reasonable solution: pumpkin breakfast bars. A bit more filling than a banana or toast-on-the-go, these wheat and oat-based treats are great to have on hand for those crazy mornings. The pumpkin filling packs the same seasonal flavor as a pie, but is easier to eat as you’re trying to lock the front door with a baby on your hip and three bags in one hand.

Pumpkin Breakfast Bars Inspired by Consider the Peel

Filling

1 cup pumpkin puree

⅓ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dough

1 cup oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp cornstarch

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons vanilla Greek yogurt

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon peanut butter

2 tablespoons almond milk

Make filling in a small saucepan: on medium heat, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar and spices until combined. Allow to bubble, then remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla. Set filling aside and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, process oats until they resemble flour. Add dry ingredients and pulse until just combined. Add yogurt, honey, oil, peanut butter and milk. Process until a ball of dough forms. On a floured work surface, roll out into ¼” thickness. Cut into 3”x4” rectangles and place on a baking sheet, reusing any scraps for another round of rolling. Spread about one tablespoon of cooled filling on one long side of the dough rectangle and fold other side over filling. Cook for about 15 minutes and cool on baking sheet.