Do you ever have mornings where even four minutes in a toaster is too long to wait for breakfast? Me too. That's why I created Grab and Go Breakfast Oat Bars. They are fragrant, wholesome, naturally sweet and, most of all, the perfect instant meal.
Sure, it would be nice to sit down to a hot breakfast every day. It would also be great to contemplate each bite in Zen fashion. But let's face it. Cooking a morning meal often loses when the choice is between breakfast and hitting the office or getting the kids to school on time.
Even when you know your focus and energy will drop later because you are running on empty, breakfast still loses. It's sad that well-being and peak productively have to take second place in our busy lives. Or do they? Not if you have a stash of these chewy, oatmeal breakfast bars at home.
Grab a couple, and you can fuel your busy morning without having a spoon, fork, microwave, or even a stack of napkins. That's because they are ready to go and packed with nutrient-dense oats, nuts, and seeds. They are amazingly sweet on their own because they are baked with ripe banana, vanilla, dried fruit, and a generous tablespoon of cinnamon.
Ingredients
Step by step
Frosted or plain
Hubby likes the frosted version, but I prefer them plain. So, I've included both options for you. That way, if you are looking for a sugar-free breakfast, you're set.
Whatever your lifestyle, you'll be glad if you bake a double batch of Grab and Go Breakfast Bars, and freeze them. Hiking? Toss a couple in your backpack. You can start the trail at 6 am and have breakfast at your first rest stop. Or maybe you have a plane to catch. Then just imagine the following.
You get through the rush of security and sit down at your boarding gate with a steaming cup of chai or coffee. Then you pull out your munch-able breakfast bars and settle in. Who knows, as you contemplate how you'll spend the $15 you saved not eating a lousy airport meal, you might even get in that Zen moment.
More breakfast recipes
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📖 Recipe
Grab and Go Breakfast Oat Bars + Frosted Option
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed extra ripe banana
- 1 cup homemade nut milk
- 1 TB cinnamon
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 TB vanilla
- ½ cup raisins, chopped dates, dried cherries, or dried fruit of choice
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 4 tsp. sunflower seeds
- 1 TB pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp. flax seeds
Optional Icing Drizzle
- ½ cup organic powdered sugar sifted
- 1.5 tsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 1 nine-inch square pan(s) with parchment paper.
- Put 1 cup firmly packed extra ripe banana, 1 cup homemade nut milk, 1 TB cinnamon, ½ tsp. sea salt, and 1 TB vanilla in a blender. Blend on high until very smooth.
- Place the blended banana mixture in a large bowl. Sprinkle evenly with ½ cup raisins, chopped dates, dried cherries, or dried fruit of choice. Add 2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats and ½ cup almond flour. Sift 1 ½ tsp. baking powder over top. Stir well with a large spoon. The mixture will be loose and fluffy once baking powder is incorporated.
- Pour into parchment-lined baking dish. Level top with a spatula and sprinkle with 4 tsp. sunflower seeds, 1 TB pumpkin seeds, and 1 tsp. flax seeds. Press seeds down gently.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until top is firm.
- When baking dish is cool enough to handle, lift baked oatmeal out with parchment paper to a cooling rack. Cool completely and cut into bars as desired.
Optional frosting
- Mix ½ cup organic powdered sugar with 1.5 tsp. lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled oat bars and allow to dry.
Notes
- My favorite dried fruits for these bars are dates, raisins, and dried cherries. Surprisingly, dried blueberries had an odd taste. However, feel free to experiment and find your own favorite dried fruit, and seed or chopped nut toppings.
- These bars freeze beautifully. If you choose the frosted version, freeze the frosting and bars separately. Then thaw and frost bars just before eating.
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