Soft, nutty baked oatmeal bars with peanut butter and chocolate chips. This is a simple, yet hearty way to have your breakfast on the go!
Why it works
This recipe comes from the cookbook Simply Delicious Vegan from Caitlin Shoemaker. It is a great book with so many delicious and approachable recipes that even the most devout carnivore would appreciate.
This recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients to create the ultimate grab and go breakfast.
We only need a handful of ingredients - many of which you may already have in your kitchen.
The batter is made up in the blender in only a couple of minutes before finally being baked to perfection.
It's nutty, flavorful, and surprisingly filling.
Ingredients
What I love about these baked oatmeal bars is how simple and wholesome it is. You only need a few simple ingredients to start your day off right.
- Dates - We use Medjool dates to add sweetness and thicken the batter. It is important to remember to remove the pits or buy them pitted otherwise you may end up ruining your blender.
- Milk - This recipe is vegan, so to keep up with that, you should use a milk alternative. I like almond milk or cashew milk.
- Maple syrup - You should always use pure maple syrup - not the thick stuff in the plastic bottles. The syrup adds sweetness, and if you use pure maple syrup, the bars won't have a strong maple flavor.
- Peanut butter - I recommend using a creamy peanut butter. You can also try using other nut butters.
- Vanilla - You should use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Oats - This recipe calls for steel cut oats. They give the recipe a deep nuttiness and really helps to fill you up. It also makes the bars a little more chewy and adds a fun texture.
- Chocolate - The recipe originally calls for mini chocolate chips. I prefer to use chopped chocolate bar. You can use whatever you like best.
- Add-ins - This recipe works so well to add in any of your favorites. You can add in fruits, nuts, seeds, and so much more.
Method
It only takes a few minutes to make the batter for these baked oatmeal bars, and a little longer for them to bake up.
- Blend the dates and some of the milk together until it forms a paste.
- Add in the remaining ingredients except the oats and chocolate and blend well.
- Add in the oats and lightly blend just enough to mix in well.
- Stir in the chocolate by hand.
- Pour into your prepared baking pan and bake!
Storage
Bars may be left at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You may also freeze them for up to a month. I recommend freezing them solid on a tray before placing in an airtight container to prevent them from freezing stuck together.
Related recipes
If you are a big fan of these oatmeal bars, you need to try this blueberry vanilla almond bar, malted oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, banana cinnamon rolls, and avocado chocolate peanut butter smoothie.
Recipe Card
Baked Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- ¼ cup 95g packed Medjool dates
- 1 cup 240mL unsweetened nondairy milk, divided
- ⅓ cup 75g maple syrup
- ½ cup 120g creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups 260g steel cut oats
- ½ cup 110g chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F (165C) and line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add the dates and half the milk to a high-powered blender and blend for one minute, or until it forms a paste.
- Add in the remaining milk, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla.
- Blend for another 2 minutes.
- Scrape the sides of the blender, then add in your steel cut oats. Blend for one minute to fully incorporate the oats.
- Add in the chocolate and stir by hand.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan and bake for 45 minutes.
- Allow the oatmeal to cool before cutting into bars.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or room temperature.
J W says
This is my favorite recipe for a pre-workout snack! Can you please double check your nutrient facts? I copy pasted the ingredients to the Everlywellfit nutrition calculator and it comes to 172 calories per bar without the chocolate.
Adrian Q says
Are the oats cooked or uncooked?