Try this No Bake Oat Bars recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 2.09534 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.03224 g
- Fiber 1.38059996032715 g
- Protein 0.10374 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00897 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (3g)
- Sodium 155.292 mg
- Sugar 0.714740039672852 g
- Trans Fat 0.015106 g
- Calories 6 calories
Step-by-step
- In a food processor, add the oats, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Pulse a few times.
- Then add the dates and pulse another few times.
- Add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough starts to come together.
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Press ½ the filling into the bottom of the pan. Press down hard with your palms so it packs tight.
- Spread some jam over the mixture. Make sure you leave about ½ inch around the border.
- Lastly, pack the remaining mixture on top of the jam layer. Pack this layer down tight as well.
- Place in the fridge to firm up. Only a few minutes.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut into bars and store in an airtight container. These should last a few weeks in the fridge.
Undermixing the dates and oats in the food processor leads to crumbly bars that refuse to hold their shape. Dates function as the primary structural binder in this formula, requiring enough mechanical shearing to form a sticky paste that encapsulates every flake of oat. Pulse the oats and cinnamon first to break down the grain structure partially before introducing the fruit. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal before adding hydration.
Scaling this recipe requires attention to pan dimensions rather than direct proportional multiplication. Doubling the batch to fit a nine-by-thirteen-inch pan maintains the proper thickness ratio of half an inch per layer. Deviating from this surface area either creates excessively thin bars that dry out rapidly or thick blocks that crack unevenly under a knife. Line the baking vessel with parchment paper featuring a two-inch overhang to lift the set slab cleanly out of the corners.
Compression dictates structural integrity during assembly. Pressing the bottom layer down requires downward force applied with the heel of the hand across the entire surface until zero loose particles remain. Leaving a half-inch border of bare pan around the jam layer prevents leakage during the final slicing phase. Seal the top oat layer firmly over the fruit filling to eliminate air pockets that cause splitting.
Pairing these dense bars with unsweetened black coffee or sharp herbal tea balances the high concentration of concentrated fruit sugars. Store the finished cuts inside an airtight container separated by sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Chilling the batch for at least twenty minutes in the refrigerator firms the natural sugars and starches sufficiently for clean division using a sharp pizza wheel.
