Baked Oat Bars

With back to school looming on our horizon and Cade starting full-time kindergarten, I know that mornings are about to get ROUGH. Far from a morning person, although Aubrey seems intent on making me one, finding quicker ways to feed us all in the morning nutritiously is paramount. Enter Baked Oat Bars. A favorite of ours for years now and easily “tweakable” for the seasons, mommas add this one to your recipe books. It’s delicious, nutritious and easy, I make mine the night before and leave it on the counter. When pumpkin season arrives and you’re wanting to practically lather yourself in the stuff, add it to this recipe for an easy vegetable addition. I’ve even done butternut squash. Don’t tell my kids.

I use a combo of rolled oats and quick cooking oats for a better flake to the bars and then add in nutritional powerhouses–always ground flax seed, sometimes sesame seeds for the boost of calcium and hemp seeds (about 1/4 C) to up the protein in the bars. I’ve been on a kick of adding this pumpkin seed protein powder too because the added protein helps keep us all feel full longer.

I use Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or my trusty Oatly 4 ingredient oat milk.

INGREDIENTS

5 1/2 C Oats (4 C old fashioned rolled oats + 1 1/2 C quick cooking oats)

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 C Ground Flax Seed

2/3 C Walnut Oil (this is my favorite baking oil but be aware of nut allergies, I also have used sunflower seed oil or avocado oil)

1 C Maple Syrup

1 3/4 C Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (you can sub your milk preference here)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

5 Eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease (I use olive oil spray) a large casserole baking dish, mine is 12.5″ x 8.5″.

The nice thing about this recipe, it truly is a one bowl wonder. Literally dump all your ingredients in one bowl and stir thoroughly so the ingredients are all incorporated. It couldn’t get much easier.

Pour into your greased baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. We like ours a bit browner so the top is crunchy. Just personal preference. It keeps well for a few days but ours is usually gone within a day or two. It’s filling, nutritious and easy. Enjoy!

These oat bars are the perfect addition to a sweet back-to-school table complete with a bouquet of sharpened pencils and the sweetest little vintage glass apple bowls I snagged from my mother-in-laws’ house. Aren’t they cute!? After a little hunting I found a set on Etsy here. Snag them up!! Love on those babies hard and then send them off with the fuel they need to thrive in their school environment. Happy back to school my dear friends.

A big thank you to my sweet friend Ruthie of Ruth Eileen Photography for capturing these delicious moments allowing me to share them with all of you. Make sure you visit Ruthie’s website and sign up for email notifications on her fall / holiday mini-sessions. They book up quick and are perfect for holiday cards.