Description
These Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a nutritious and delicious way to start your day. Made with wholesome oats, whole wheat flour, and naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, these bars offer a soft and chewy texture perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. Enhanced with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and customizable with your favorite mix-ins, they are easy to prepare and baked to perfection at a low temperature to keep them tender and moist.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- 3/4 cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour (measured like this)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 6 tbsp (90mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (room temperature)
Optional Mix-ins
- Chopped nuts, berries, or dark chocolate chips as desired
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray to ensure easy removal of the bars later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the instant oats, whole wheat or gluten-free flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the melted and cooled butter or coconut oil with the egg white and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the pure maple syrup until fully incorporated, then add the almond milk and mix well.
- Incorporate Dry into Wet: Gradually add the oat and flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
- Add Optional Mix-ins: If using any optional ingredients such as chopped nuts, berries, or dark chocolate chips, fold them into the batter gently at this stage.
- Bake the Bars: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to set but the center remains soft.
- Cool and Set: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely to room temperature in the pan. For the best soft and chewy texture, let them rest for at least 6 hours once cooled before slicing into 16 squares and serving.
Notes
- Use gluten-free oats and flour to make the bars gluten-free.
- Do not substitute cinnamon with a different spice as it is key to the flavor profile.
- Optional mix-ins like nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips add texture and flavor—adjust quantity as desired.
- Allowing the bars to rest for several hours after cooling is crucial to develop their soft, chewy texture.
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer shelf life.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 60g)
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
