Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Snack Cake

Yields: 1 snack cake, 16 square slices

This snack cake is really moist and tender, and it has the perfect trio of warm spices, comforting pumpkin, and rich chocolate chips. It’s great for quick grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks! It will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it also freezes well!

1 ½ cups (150g) instant oats (gluten-free if needed and measured like this)
1 ¼ cups (150g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (244g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
3 ½ tbsp (49g) miniature chocolate chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Add in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the oat mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the oat mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the oat mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in 3 tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and gently press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the top. Bake at 350°F for 26-29 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.

Notes: Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-minute oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. If you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.

For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will also work, if measured like this.

It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out your snack cake and give it a crumbly texture—especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cake batter.

This is my favorite cinnamon! It tastes stronger, warmer, and slightly sweeter than traditional cinnamon.

If you prefer, 1 tablespoon of store-bought pumpkin spice maybe be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

For a sweeter flavor, increase the maple syrup by an additional 2 tablespoons (½ cup total), and decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons instead).

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/09/09/healthy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-snack-cake/