Each time I step into Starbucks and peruse the display case for a sweet treat, I’m drawn to the oat bar. Perhaps it’s the unfussy plainness of the oaty-beige brick that draws me in. In the world of Instagram, I’d imagine the humble oat bar would be found under the hashtags #nomakeup #nofilter ‘grams.
But as much as I love the Starbucks Oat Bar, it seems like they’ve changed their supplier or the recipe or something because it’s no longer the oat bar I used to love. I mean, I still gravitate towards it over everything else, but nowadays I prefer making it myself, because:
- It’s so easy a child could make it.
- I know exactly what goes in it (especially the sugar content)!
So when my youngest daughter stayed home from school because she was “sick”, we made oat bars together. (She loves oat bars too and will choose an oat bar over a cookie any day. My precious weirdo.) She requested that we use our good quality blueberry honey from a quaint little farm store on Vancouver Island. I was loth to spend all that honey on something as low-key as oat bars, but I couldn’t say no to her sweet, sweet face. Thank God her extravagant tastes paid off — the bars left a lovely hint of blueberry on our palates after each bite.
We also added some fancy shredded coconut and used our good vanilla (you can’t really taste the coconut but it adds a very pleasing chew/texture to the bar), since Keira had upped the ante with the blueberry honey we figured we might as well go all in and treat ourselves with quality ingredients. I love this recipe because it is so versatile and can accommodate any variety of flavour preferences or modifications. Stevia? Pureéd dates? Go for it, if that’s how you roll. Ground pecans or almonds? Dried currants or raisins? Hello, oatmeal cookie bar.
I love the simplicity of the recipe as well. Just toss everything into a pan, cook it on the stove until everything is nice and toasty and comes together in clumps, then press the mess into a baking pan to cool into bars. Easy peasy. Not only are they a great option for grab-and-go snacks, but they are also super healthy and good for you. To wit: oats are rich in soluble fibre which lowers blood cholesterol and decreases diabetic risks, and also has a high concentration of insoluble fibre that keeps you feeling satiated for a long time. It covers all your fibre needs! I just thought you’d like to know.
And you can work out while preparing them! All the stirring and pressing counts as exercise, amiright? So much winning. Make some. Eat some.
xoxo,
mlee
Oat bar
8 bars
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 1/4 cup water (optional – use for a tender bar, use less or none at all for a stiffer bar)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Optional additions: 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, dried fruit, shredded coconut, seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Grind 2 cups rolled oats in food processor or with an immersion blender.
- Mix oat flour with the rest of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. (If adding chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or dried fruit, this is where you add them in.)
- In a large non-stick pan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, and add the honey, syrup, vanilla, water, and brown sugar. Mix and allow to bubble gently.
- Add dry ingredients to the pan and mix thoroughly. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, until mixture thickens. Do not allow to burn.
- Press into an 8 x 8-inch pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper. Allow for some overhang so that the bars lift out easily. Compress the mixture evenly using the back of a flat metal spatula, or a fondant press.
- Using a kitchen knife, score the top of the oat mixture into bar shapes to make cutting easier.
- After the bars have cooled for about 15 minutes, cut the bars through while still in the pan.
- Allow to cool completely and enjoy!
Notes
Add any additional notes here.
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