MIX & MATCH BREAKFAST BARS

Shared by Jennifer John, The Sylvia Center

Total Time: 1 Hour

Serving Size: 8 Breakfast Bars

INGREDIENTS

PROCEDURE

2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Using parchment paper, line 8-inch square pan with 2-inch overhang

Put 2 cups of the oats in large bowl.
Buzz remaining ½ cup of oats in a blender or small food processor until you get a rough flour. Add to bowl of oats.
Stir in baking soda and salt.
Add in Mix and Match dry ingredients to bowl and stir to combine.
In a small saucepan, gently heat coconut oil, sugar and honey (or Mix and Match variation below) until just melted. Stir until sugars are incorporated. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Stir liquid mixture into bowl until oat are completed and evenly coated.
Turn bowl into prepared pan and spread evenly. Put a sandwich bag onto hands and press mixture firmly into corners for an even thickness.
Bake 20 minutes until oats are toasted and golden. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into bars with sharp knife; cleaning knife as necessary.
Leave bars to cool another 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.
Bars will crisp as they cool.
Put into container or wrap individually when completely cool. Store on counter or in refrigerator or freezer. (Pull out 15 minutes to warm up a bit before eating.)

This is a great recipe for adults and children to make together. You can mix and match different ingredients to build a custom recipe from your family or try one of our suggestions below. Best of all, when made with gluten-free oats, this recipe is gluten-free; substituting brown rice syrup for the honey makes it vegan.

Mix And Match Variations

The Basic Bars take well to a variety of add-ins to make them your own families’ favorite breakfast bar. Add in up to a cup of nuts and/or dried fruit. Switch out honey for other liquid sugars, like maple or agave. Change oil to canola, nut oil or a light olive oil for slight differences in texture.

Apricot Pistachio Bars

Add In

½ cup roughly chopped roasted pistachios (salted or unsalted)
½ cup roughly chopped dried apricots

Method

Add pistachios and apricots as Mix & Match ingredients in Step 4.
Proceed with recipe as written.

Honey Nut Bars

Add In

½ cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted)
2 tablespoons peanut butter power
Additional tablespoon of honey for topping

Method

Add peanuts and peanut butter powder as Mix & Match ingredients in Step 4.
Proceed with recipe as written until Step 7.
After mixture is pressed into pan, drizzle the additional honey evenly on the top.
Then proceed as directed.

Double Chocolate Pepita Bars

Add In

2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Substitute

¼ cup walnut oil (for coconut oil)
¼ cup maple syrup (for honey)

Method

Add cocoa powder, pepitas, and chia seeds as Mix and Match ingredients in Step 4.
In Step 5, use walnut oil and maple syrup with sugar. Melt and proceed as directed.
In Step 8, when bars are pulled from the oven, sprinkle dark chocolate chips evenly across bars. Let cool 10 minutes.
Spread melted chocolate evenly across bars.
Let cool for 5 minutes.
Cut bars with sharp knife while in pan.
Then pop into the refrigerator for another 10 minutes to cool completely and harden chocolate.