How are you doing with back-to-school mornings? Us? Things are p r e t t y c r a z y every weekday morning. I like to have options like these bars to change up the routine. Even better, these bars are super simple for the kids to put together, too, so let them do the prep and then you can bake them in the mornings.
Be sure to mix the dough early because it should rest prior to baking at least six hours, but preferably overnight. Also, letting the bars cool completely will help them stay more intact; they will taste yummy warm, too, but be kind of crumbly.
You might have different mix-ins you prefer. Try them with what I suggest here, and then change things up as you see fit. Add some orange peel and cranberries? Why not? Love walnuts? Add 'em. Dried blueberries and lemon peel would be awesome too.
Oat and Coconut Breakfast Bars
Yield 18 - 24 bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup dried cherries (or another soft, plump dried fruit)
¾ cup/180 milliliters smooth almond butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup/55 grams light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten, at room temperature
1 egg white, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ⅔ cups/146 grams rolled oats
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup seed mix (like sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax, quinoa, poppy seeds, etc)
Directions
Line an 8 x 8 square pan with parchment paper; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the coconut and dried cherries, and using kitchen sheers, snip the fruits until small bits and pieces. Not too small or pulverized, but small enough to be able to distribute evenly. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using a sturdy whisk, beat together almond butter, brown sugar, and butter until well combined. Add egg, egg white, salt and vanilla, and whisk until well incorporated.
Add oats and baking soda to the egg mixture, stirring well with a rubber spatula. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut mixture, and seed mix until thoroughly mixed. Turn the dough into the prepared pan, and press it firmly into the corners, creating an even layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. (This allows the oats to hydrate.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the surface is light golden brown and firm, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer to a rack and allow bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use a butter knife or small offset spatula to cut along the inside edges of the pan and release the bars. Using the parchment paper overhang, lift bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board. Cut into 18 bars. They smell amazing so you might have a hard to waiting, but the longer you let them cool, the better they will stay together.
Enjoy!
If you have any bars remaining, store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.
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