{Back To School} Oatbars
I just know in my mind that I'm going to be that mom that forgets to pack her child's snack for school one day. It frightens me, truly... so much so that I am 100% positive that I'm going to have nightmares over it. I'm planning to try and stay ahead though and have snacks in the freezer that I can always grab on the go when time gets away from us in the morning...which is almost a guarantee in this household.
My children love granola bars....its one of the healthiest things they will eat without putting up a fuss...but there is ONE exception--big chunks of nuts and berries do not fly. Period.
In this recipe, I decided to break down the almonds and berries in the food processor before mixing it all together making it virtually impossible for them to end up with any chunks to spit out.... and end up on the floor... or the couch....or the fishtank.
These are a breeze to throw together and can be frozen and then pulled out one by one when needed for a healthy snack or lunch. My husband also loves to take one of these with him in the morning to eat after he finishes up at the gym. It's the perfect little nibble to get that metabolism pumping!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ or flax seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees on Convection Bake setting, or Bake at 350 if your oven does not have that feature. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray or lightly coat with butter.
In a large food processor, add first 11 ingredients and process until almonds and dried fruit is broken down, about 30-45 seconds. Set mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and sugar together, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat for another minute until well incorporated and mix in the vanilla. Add the flour/nut mixture and mix until completely combined.
Pour mixture into greased dish and press down evenly. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until bars are just beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and slice into individual bars immediately. Once bars have cooled, remove from pan and pack up those lunchboxes.
There is very little sugar in this recipe and you can feel so great about yourself as a parent for packing such a healthy {and delicious} snack for your little one!
Looks delicious!! Where have you found dried blueberries? I’d love to get some.
Hi Amy,
I get dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s..they have them pre-packaged in the dried fruit section OR I can also find them at Sprouts/Henry’s market in the bulk bins. I’m not sure if you have those stores where you live, but if not, I’d check your local health food market. If you still can’t find them, I’ll send you some 🙂
YUM – these look perfect for the kids snack. I love how you ground everything up – my kids also like to “pick” the nuts out of their food.