Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe – Love and Lemons
This oatmeal bars recipe is an ideal meal prep breakfast! Simple to make in a single bowl, the bars are mushy, chewy, and crammed with walnuts and dried fruit.
On busy mornings, I like having a stash of those oatmeal bars available. They’re an ideal grab-and-go breakfast, filled with hearty oats, walnuts, dried cranberries, and eggs to carry them collectively. They’ve a scrumptious soft-baked texture, and brown sugar and cinnamon fill them with candy, spiced taste. With two kiddos in the home, I hardly ever have time to make precise oatmeal on a weekday, however fortunate for me, these oatmeal breakfast bars are even higher!
I tailored this oatmeal bars recipe from my baked oatmeal. Once I began engaged on them, my objective was for them to have one key distinction from the baked oatmeal recipe: I wished them to be cohesive sufficient to eat by hand. It took 4 exams to get there, however I couldn’t be happier with the outcomes.
These oatmeal breakfast bars are chewy, flavorful, and simple to make in a single bowl. And better of all, they preserve within the fridge for the higher a part of per week. Should you want meal prep breakfast concepts for back-to-school season, these yummy bars are for you!
Oatmeal Bars Substances
Right here’s what you’ll must make this oatmeal bars recipe:
- Complete rolled oats, after all! Additionally referred to as quaint rolled oats, they make up the bottom of those bars. Make sure to use licensed gluten-free oats for those who want the bars to be gluten-free.
- Eggs – A key ingredient on this recipe, they bind the oats collectively. Enjoyable truth: I initially examined these bars with 2 eggs, however I discovered they wanted 3 to carry collectively!
- Brown sugar and unsweetened applesauce – For sweetness. I’ve additionally made these bars with pure maple syrup as a substitute of brown sugar for a 100% naturally sweetened choice. They only must bake for an additional 5 minutes to account for the additional liquid.
- Milk – For moisture. Be happy to make use of no matter variety you retain available. Common milk, oat milk, and almond milk all work effectively.
- Melted coconut oil – It provides richness and helps the bars brown within the oven. Should you don’t preserve coconut oil available, be at liberty to substitute one other cooking fats. I’ve efficiently used avocado oil on this recipe, and I believe vegetable oil and melted butter would work too.
- Baking powder – It helps the oatmeal bars rise.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract – For heat depth of taste.
- Dried cranberries and walnuts – My go-to mix-ins! Any mixture of dried fruit and nuts would work effectively of their place. Strive including dried cherries, dried blueberries, or raisins, or use pecans or pepitas instead of the walnuts. You may even add mini chocolate chips.
- And sea salt – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the entire recipe with measurements under.
The right way to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
This baked oatmeal bars recipe is straightforward to make in a single bowl:
Begin by whisking collectively the moist substances—the eggs, applesauce, brown sugar, milk, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Then, add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle them over the egg combination and whisk to mix.
Subsequent, add the oats, chopped walnuts, and cranberries. Stir to coat within the egg combination.
Let the oat combination stand for 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step! It’s essential for hydrating the oats, giving the bars a fair moisture stage all through. It’s additionally a fantastic alternative to grease an 8×8-inch pan, line it with parchment paper, and preheat the oven.
After 20 minutes, you’re able to bake the bars. Switch the oat combination to the ready pan and unfold it in a fair layer. Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes, or till the middle is ready.
Let cool fully within the pan earlier than chopping into 16 bars or 9 bars, as desired. Take pleasure in!
Recipe Ideas
- Chop up the mix-ins. In my early exams, I discovered that entire dried cranberries and huge walnut items had been tough to chop by means of after I was slicing the bars, which made components of the bars crumble off. Now, I at all times chop the cranberries and nuts into small items to assist the bars maintain collectively.
- Let the batter stand for 20 minutes. I skipped this step the primary two occasions I examined this recipe, and I discovered that the bars had a very moist, gummy layer beneath. Letting the batter relaxation for 20 minutes offers the oats an opportunity to take in among the moisture earlier than baking in order that they don’t find yourself with that too-wet backside layer.
- Let the bars cool fully earlier than slicing and serving. These bars maintain collectively greatest for those who allow them to cool to room temperature earlier than serving. Should you serve them sooner, they’ll have a mushy, crumbly texture much like this baked oatmeal.
The right way to Retailer and Freeze Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
To retailer: Permit the bars to chill to room temperature. Seal them in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Make certain to let the bars cool absolutely first. They’ll crumble for those who seal them in a container whereas they’re nonetheless heat.
- They’re greatest saved within the fridge. They get even firmer and chewier. Against this, they soften for those who retailer them at room temp.
To freeze: Let the bars cool fully, then seal in an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 3 months. To thaw, shortly defrost one bar at a time within the microwave, or switch them to the fridge to thaw in a single day.
Extra Oatmeal Recipes to Strive
Should you love these oatmeal breakfast bars, attempt certainly one of these scrumptious oatmeal recipes subsequent:
Searching for extra wholesome breakfast inspiration? Take a look at these 60 Wholesome Breakfast Concepts!
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Serves 9 or 16
This oatmeal bars recipe is a superb on-the-go breakfast or snack! The bars are mushy, chewy, and flavorful, filled with dried fruit and nuts. They preserve effectively for 4 days within the fridge, so that they’re good for meal prep.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt on prime and whisk till easy. Add the oats, cranberries, and walnuts and blend with a spatula to mix.
Set the combination apart for 20 minutes to hydrate the oats. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch sq. baking dish. Line the underside and two sides with a sheet of parchment paper.
Unfold the oat combination evenly within the ready pan. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or till the center is ready.
Permit to chill fully within the pan earlier than slicing and serving.
Retailer cooled bars in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
Vitamin info calculated for 1/9 recipe
