These upgraded power bars are a big hit in our house. When my four-year-old taste testers sunk their teeth into the warm, gooey goodness, they exclaimed, “it’s better than birthday cake!” Success! They taste like dessert but are great for a quick breakfast or a healthy snack as they also pack a nutritional punch. —
They contain protein, whole grains, potassium, healthy fats and a whole food sweetener. So, I don’t mind if the kiddies want second or thirds. This recipe started as an upgraded version of the recipe on the Quaker Oats container and it’s gone through many versions to improve the quality of the ingredients, taste and texture. Let me know if you add anything wonderful. Enjoy!
Chewy Oatmeal Bar Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine and mix well:
3 ripe bananas
(or, you can use 2 ripe bananas and add 8 oz. plain yoghurt or unsweetened apple sauce)
%uFFFD cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
2 Tablespoons unsweetened rice, oat or almond milk
In another bowl mix:
1 %uFFFD cups whole wheat or brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
%uFFFD teaspoon salt
%uFFFD cup dried coconut (optional)
Combine dry and wet ingredients and then stir in:
3 cups rolled oats (for a smoother texture you can blend the dry oats into a flour)
1 cup raisins, cranberries or dark chocolate chips (combining cranberries and chocolate chips is nice too)
Spread into a greased 9×13 inch pan or two 8×8 inch pans (I use coconut oil to grease or sometimes use ungreased pans lined with parchment paper).
Bake 24 to 30 minutes
Let cool on rack
Cut into squares
Store in sealed container or freeze
