Chocolate Mixed Berry Oat Bars

3 year old approved

I came across a version of this recipe at Texanerin Baking's blog. Go check out her original and peak around at some of her other recipes! I made some of my own modifications but otherwise I liked what she created. This is my version of Texanerin's bars.
 

Chocolate, Mixed Berry, Oat Bars

 Ingredients

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup soft (but not liquid) refined coconut oil 
• 1/3 cup soy free Earth Balance Spread
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1/3 cup mixed berry jam (or any berry flavor that you happen to have on hand)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Line an 8"x8" square baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F. 
2. Stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Cut in the coconut oil and mix until the dough just comes together.
4. Gently press two thirds of it onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.
6. While baking, prepare the berry filling. In a small sauce pan, stir together the berries and jam. Heat through until it is mashed with a fork.
7. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
8. Spread this mixture over the baked crust and then sprinkle about 1/2 of the chocolate chips over the berry layer.
9. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate chips.
10. Bake for another 25-28 minutes or until the top has lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
11. Remove from the oven and top with the rest of the chocolate chips.
12. Let the bars cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate at least 3 hours before cutting.
    
    
    
    
    
    

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Bars

These Oatmeal Raisin Bars turned out so well that they are definitely worth sharing.  A great treat for a potluck, an after school snack, or a picnic. Yum. I discovered, as well, that people don't even know they are vegan. Now, that is the ultimate compliment on a baked good.

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars
Yields 12 servings

Ingredients:
for the bars
 1 1/2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder + 2 teaspoons (divided)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon sunflower sunflower seed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins

for the glaze
confectioners sugar
Vanilla Almond Milk
Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance or Coconut Oil

Directions:

For the bars:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).  Line an 8 inch X 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper so that it overlaps the sides and set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl mix the  2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon sunflower sunflower seed oil, and 2 teaspoons of baking powder and let sit.
4. In a large mixing bowl (or standing mixer) cream the Earth Balance and 1/4 cup coconut oil for about 3 minutes on medium speed.  Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about another 3 minutes.
5. Add the sunflower seed oil mixture and vanilla and beat, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure it is completely combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.  Stir in the raisins.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are brown and the middle is light  brown and set.  A toothpick will not come out clean from these bars as they will still be a bit moist in the middle.
8. Let cool completely. (This was the hardest part.)

For the glaze: 
1. Place the Earth Balance (or coconut oil) and about 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, mix a bit and then pour in almond milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired drizzling consistency is reached. You may need to add a bit more confectioners sugar, it's ok to play with the proportions.
2. Remove the bars from the pan to a cutting board.  Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the top and let sit until glaze has crusted over.
3.  Cut into bars and serve.

Strawberry Chia Energy Bars

I could use some convection over tips. Do you prop the door of the oven open? Or close it so the convection fan kicks on?  I ended up using a combination of the two. I couldn't find any instructions on this anywhere. The thought was that with the door open, the moisture could escape and the temperature could be a bit lower so as to be more like a dehydrator. Isn't that what the fan on the convection oven is for? Who knows, anywho, this open/closed method seemed to work well for me. I am going to try another flavor this weekend, more of a Hawaiian coconut, pineapple. Yum!

Just some of the delicious reasons for using some of the ingredients in this snack...

Pumpkin seeds have lots of antioxidants, vitamin E, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium.  The oils in these little guys may even help to regulate insulin. (Very preliminary but so cool.) They also have antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. Can't beat that.

Sunflower seeds are packed with vitamins E and B1 as well as copper. Vitamin E helps protect your cells against free radicals, chemicals that oxidize and damage your proteins, cell membranes and DNA. This vitamin also promotes healthy circulation by helping you make red blood cells. An ounce of hulled sunflower seeds contains 10 milligrams of vitamin E! That is two-thirds of your recommended daily intake of the nutrient.

Sesame seeds also have loads of zinc which decreases the risk for osteoporosis, phytoserols that may enhance the immune response, sesamin which provides liver protection, as well as copper, anti-inflammatory, and anti oxidants.

Chia seeds are a hot topic right now. These odd little seeds are full of fiber, calcium, and Omega-3 fatty acids. Another great thing about chia seeds is their ability to absorb up to 12x their weight. This means that once ingested, they can draw out toxins in your body. Pretty cool, huh?

Flax seeds also contain Omega-3s. I have been hearing about a study (yes that is a link to Yahoo news but the actually article from Neurology is cited at the bottom of the link) where Omega-3 fatty acids were shown to possibly reduce age related brain shrinkage, especially in women. Shoot, I am all for that. Flax seeds are antioxidant power houses with ounce for ounce, more antioxidants than blueberries. This has been correlated to a reduction in insulin resistance.

As my mom said, when I told her about the above health benefits, "Whew! That is lots of good health." Ha. 

So try these out and be on the look out for the next variety. I already have several more ideas.

Strawberry Chia Energy Bars 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fresh Strawberries, topped and hulled
• 19 Medjool Dates, pitted (about 2 cups)
• ¼  cup Pumpkin Seeds
• ¼  cup Sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup Flax Seeds
• ½ cup Sesame Seeds
• ⅛ cup Chia Seeds
• Sea Salt, optional to taste

Instructions

1. Place strawberries and dates in the food processor. Pulse into a slightly chunky mixture, not completely smooth.
2. Pour fruit puree into a bowl and using a wooden spoon, gently mix in all remaining ingredients. Salt to taste.
3. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mixture should be about ⅛” thick.
4. Place in convection oven at 170 deg F for about 6 hours. (This was the lowest my oven would go.) 
5. After about 4-5 hours, when the top is no longer sticky to the touch and the bottom can easily peel off the parchment, flip the mixture over so the top is now the bottom. This will help evenly dehydrate both sides. I found the best way to do this was to place a new piece of parchment on top of the bars and flip the whole thing. I then peeled the old layer of paper off the top.
6. The bars are done when they have a fruit leather texture, not completely crispy.
7. Cut into bars using a pizza cutter.
8. Can be stored 6 months – 9 months in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

Yep, another granola bar recipe. I've been trying to find a long run food. I don't need to eat anything under 3 hours but after that I need to start taking in some calories. I don't do gels, or blocks, or processed bars (unless it's a dire bonking emergency). I am not interested in the extra ingredients, the GMOs, or the sugar. My body just isn't used to it and if I started in on sugar, I would have to keep putting it in to keep from crashing. In the past I have used the small packages of Justin's Nut Butters which work pretty well so long as they are washed down but I also need some quick burning carbs. I am looking forward to freezing these and them pulling them out as my runs get longer and the mornings get warmer.

Another perk is that the rest of my family likes them too. Win/Win.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars
Ingredients:
½ c. chopped walnuts
2 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. raisins
½ c. homemade peanut butter (or store bought variety of your choice)
2/3 c. honey (could substitute brown sugar or agave if you don't use honey)
¼ c. coconut oil (measured in liquid form)
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread oats on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes until fragrant.
3. Transfer toasted oats to a bowl and mix in the walnuts and raisins.  Set aside.
4. In saucepan combine honey, peanut butter, coconut oil, spices and salt over medium heat until thoroughly mixed.
5. Pour hot mixture over the oats, walnuts and raisins until evenly mixed.
6. Immediately pour into a glass baking dish to set up.
7. Allow to cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a quicker setup.
8. When cool, cut into bars.

 

I considered adding some flax seeds to these but didn't want the extra fiber during my workouts. Ha. I think next time I may consider some hemp seeds for extra protein though. 

No Bake Sticky Granola Bars

E has been into "honey bars". This would be the oats and honey variety of granola bars we picked up at Open Harvest last weekend.  I hadn't been in there but it was great. A local cooperative grocery that I plan on going back to. The bars he choose were a pretty traditional crunchy oats and honey bar with flax seeds. The ones we made to match them are more on the chewy side. Both are really good and plant based. (We use local raw honey at our house. You could try substituting agave or maple syrup but I can't say as to how well they would work or what they would taste like.)

No Bake Sticky Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cups roasted flax seed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used my homemade version)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2-3/4 cup raw (or regular) honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (measure in liquid form)
• 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½- 1 cup mini dairy free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
 

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine your oats, rice cereal, and flax seed. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
2. Place sugar, honey, coconut oil, and sea salt in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 1 minute so mixture combines and sugars dissolve. Take pan off the heat and add in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Pour over the oat/rice cereal mixture. Stir until well combined.
3. Let this mixture sit for several minutes. 
4. Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper cut to size.
5. Pour out granola bar mixture into pan. Press with spatula. Then immediately spread your chocolate chips on the top and press again.
6. Allow to cool in fridge or on counter. Once the bars have cooled completely, lift out of the pan. Cut the bars into the size of your choosing.
7. These freeze well individually by wrapping in plastic and placing in freezer safe bag or container.  

Crispy Peanut Butter Bars

After my last post on hummus, my husband commented that it had not gone unnoticed that due to the massive influx of chick peas and tahini, the amount of baked goods had exponentially decreased.  I took to the kitchen to make some chocolate chip cookies that turned out pitifully (read tasted good but had a weird soft texture and were quite flat). I then cheated on these as they are technically a "no bake" bar. They do, however, taste like a crispy Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I am happy to report. They also got good reviews all the way around. We eat honey at our house as it is a high vibration food but if you are out on the honey you could certainly use agave or, I suppose, light corn syrup.

Plant Based Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Bars

Ingredients:

1 Cup Peanut Butter (I used Jif Natural Creamy)

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

3 Cups Crisp Rice cereal (I used Trader Joe's brand)

3/4 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life mini semi sweet)

1 1/2 Tablespoon Vegan Butter (I used soy free Earth Balance)

Directions:

1. Put the peanut butter, sugar, honey, and salt in a pan.

2. Heat over medium heat and stir continuously to incorporate sugars. 

When peanut butter mixture gets hot and starts to bubble, remove from heat and stir in rice crispies.

3. Scoop into an 8x8 or 11x7 pan lined with parchment paper.

4. Pat it all down with clean hands so it’s nice and even.

5. Melt chocolate chips and vegan butter in a double boiler.

6. Pour melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter crispy layer and spread.

7. Place in fridge to chill. 

8. Remove from pan using the edges of the parchment. 

9. Cut into bars. 

10. Try not to eat 25 of them in one sitting. Yikes.