Try this Oatmeal Breakfast Bars recipe.
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups milk (i used unsweetened vanilla almond but any kind will do nicely)
- 3 tablespoons honey (elisabeth’s version calls for agave)
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy or crunchy—i used natural cr
- 1/2 large banana quartered and diced
- Carbohydrate 27.4407766656746 g
- Cholesterol 26.8458333325049 mg
- Fat 2.33550833315108 g
- Fiber 4.38815004235506 g
- Protein 5.8941958326478 g
- Saturated Fat 0.52621916655317 g
- Serving Size 1 1 bar (68g)
- Sodium 59.6400499782534 mg
- Sugar 23.0526266233195 g
- Trans Fat 0.433711749990679 g
- Calories 150 calories
Step-by-step
- Place rack in the center reheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, egg, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir to combine . The batter will be very wet. Fold in the diced banana, then pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until thickened and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool, cut into bars, and serve.
A list of dry oats and whole wheat flour cannot reveal how these components behave under heat, where starch gelatinization dictates the final density. Whole wheat flour absorbs moisture differently than refined white flour due to the presence of bran and germ, requiring a thorough mix with the wet ingredients to prevent pockets of dryness. Old-fashioned rolled oats provide structural integrity by holding their shape during mixing, unlike instant oats which dissolve into mush. Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly to distribute the two teaspoons of cinnamon and one teaspoon of baking powder evenly throughout the whole wheat flour. When folding in the diced banana, keep pieces uniform so moisture disperses predictably across the eight-by-eight-inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes, positioning your oven rack squarely in the center to encourage even browning. Assess doneness visually and tactually by inserting a wooden toothpick into the geometric center; it must emerge free of wet batter. Allow the baked slab to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with a sharp chef knife into eight uniform portions.
