Fit Foodie Cooking Club September 2021

Published 9/13/2021 • Updated 12/4/2024

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This month we’re making a delicious Fit Foodie fall recipe- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars. You get a delicious fall dessert that is ooey, gooey- and full of all of your favorite pumpkin flavors.

What is the Fit Foodie Cooking Club?

The Fit Foodie Cooking Club is a monthly cooking challenge to get you in the kitchen cooking from scratch!

We thought there was no better way to bring our virtual community together than to all make the same recipe each month to celebrate real food.

September 2021 – The Details

Read the below details VERY carefully as we want to make sure your entry counts! If you have questions, please leave them in the comments of this post.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

September 2021’s recipe of the month is a popular Fit Foodie Finds fall dessert, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars.

These pumpkin oatmeal cookie bars are gooey, pumpkin-y, and made with better-for-you ingredients! These Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars are the perfect healthy dessert recipe for any fall occasion. Here’s more info:

Better-for-you ingredients
All things pumpkin!
Delicious fall dessert
Kid-friendly
Great for a meal prep snack

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

To make our Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars, here are the main ingredients you need:

Rolled oats
White whole wheat flour
Brown sugar
Baking powder
Baking soda
Pumpkin pie spice
Salt
Chocolate chunks
Eggs
Creamy cashew butter (drippy)
Unsweetened pumpkin puree
Maple syrup
Vanilla extract

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

Since this recipe only requires one pan, there are very minimal tools needed. Check it out:

8×8 baking pan: We generally use an 8×8 baking pan, but if you only have 9×9 that will work, too!

Measuring Cups: Make sure to have a set of measuring cups and measuring teaspoon/tablespoons on hand.

Mixing Bowls: You are going to need a large mixing bowl to mix everything in.

Cooking Utensils: you will need a mixing bowl, a spatula and other stirring utensils to mix up the batter for these delicious bars.

RECIPE TIPS

Drippy Cashew Butter: Be sure that you use actual drippy cashew butter, the drippier the butter, the more gooey and delicious the bars will be. We use the Trader Joes cashew butter or Good and Gather cashew butter.
Don’t forget to spray the pan: If you don’t have a non-stick pan (or even if you do), be sure you spray the pan to you can easily get your pumpkin bars out of the pan. If you know you’ll have trouble, line your bar pan with parchment paper before pouring in the batter.
Be sure to add the coconut oil at the end: The reason we suggest adding the melted coconut oil at the end is that coconut oil hardens easily. If you mix warm, melted coconut oil with a cold liquid like almond milk or eggs, your coconut oil might seize up. By waiting until the end, you make sure it will stay melted and mix in perfectly!
Don’t forget the salt: We love sprinkling these pumpkin bars with a little flaked salt right when they come out of the oven. A little bit of sea salt in every bite is heaven.
Let the bars sit: If you try to take the bars out of the pan too early, your bars will fall apart or stick to the bottom of the pan. Be sure to let your bars sit for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan.
Easy removal: After your bars have sat, carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and bars to loosen the bars from the pan.

join the fit foodie cooking club on facebook!

Join in on the Fit Foodie Facebook fun and become a member of our FREE Facebook Group. The Fit Foodie Cooking Club group on Facebook is a way to share your cooking creations and make new like-minded friends online.

How to Enter

Now that you know how to make the recipe, it’s time to submit your creation!

Take a photo of your recipe.
Leave a comment on the Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars with a photo of your creation letting people know how it went. We’d love a star-rating, but it’s not required. Make sure to leave your name and email in the comment form because this is how we’ll contact the winners!

Important Dates

Monday, September 13th, 2021 – the first day you are eligible to submit an entry.

Tuesday, September 28th, 2021 – the last day to submit your photo and comment.

Wednesday, September 29th, 2021 – the winners will be randomly selected and announced HERE in this blog post and on social media.

The Prize

2 participants will each win a $100 Target gift card. The selection will be random and based on comments that are received between September 13th and September 28th, 2021.

Winners will be announced on the last Wednesday of the month (September 28th, 2021) via social media and THIS blog post.

Charity of the Month

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

In honor of National Suicide Awareness month, the non-profit for this month is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a leader in suicide prevention and mental health crisis care. Since its inception, the Lifeline has engaged in a variety of initiatives to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention for all, including innovative public messaging, best practices in mental health, and groundbreaking partnerships.