Vegan Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Trace the bottom of a 7 quart slow cooker on a large piece of parchment paper (a slow-cooker liner works well too!) and cut, making it a little bit bigger than the trace. Spray the bottom the slow cooker with cooking spray and press the parchment into the bottom, letting some overhang to use as handles.

In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin, coconut sugar, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Add oats, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and 1/4 cup of the pecans (reserve the rest for later). Stir until well mixed and a thick dough forms

Spoon the batter into the prepared slow cooker and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.

Cover and cook until the top feels set, being careful not to over-bake. This takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and let the bars cool inside for 1 hour.

Gently lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into bars and devour!

Notes:
1. You can toast nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until they smell “nutty” or on a small pan in a 350ºF oven.
2. If you want to bake these in the oven, spray an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray and spread the batter into it evenly. Bake at 350ºF until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18–20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing.