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Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars

March 1, 2010

I eat oatmeal EVERY day. I'm actually eating a bowl of it right now as I write this post -- no joke. Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods, not only because it's heart healthy and nutritious, but also because it's nutritious, filling and beyond easy to make -- which is perfect for moms that are constantly on-the-go. But I'm not the only one in our house who loves oatmeal. At breakfast, Kenya asks for oatmeal as often as he asks for pancakes, omelets and waffles.

I wanted to come up with a recipe using oatmeal that would be perfect for those days that you're racing out the door and don't have time to cook (I think that's most mornings for many of us). I liked the idea of doing breakfast bars since almost every mom I know always has a LARA, Clif, or Odwala bar in their bag for themselves alongside their wallets, diapers, wipes, and sippy cups. These bars are different from the brands I just mentioned -- they are essentially oatmeal in bar form, but they are equally delicious. Just prepare a batch and keep them in the fridge for several days. All you have to do as you're heading out for the day is grab a few bars for you and your kids and you're set.

For all of you "on-the-go" moms, this bar's for you.

Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars  (Makes 18 Bars)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes,
  • Total Time: 35 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup milk (any kind of milk — rice, almond, soy, cow’s — will work)
  • 3 tablespoons agave
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, blueberries, and/or cherries)
  • 1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, sunflower seeds, and/or pepitas)

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. 2. Place the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
  3. 3. Mix the milk, applesauce, egg, agave, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
  4. 4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stir to combine and then stir in the dried fruits and nuts.
  5. 5. Pour the oatmeal mixture into a buttered or greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish.
  6. 6. Bake for 30 minutes or until thickened and golden.
  7. 7. Cool, cut into squares and serve.
  8. *Allow to cool, cut into squares and place in a ziploc bag to freeze up to 4 months. When ready, allow to defrost in fridge for 24-48 hours.
  9. *Refrigerating the bars will make them last up to 5 days.

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Comments






  1. Mayanin

    January 29, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    Hi! My baby is allergic to egg how can i substitute the egg when baking? or cooking in general?

    • catherine

      January 30, 2013 at 1:02 am

      You can replace one egg with one small mashed banana or 1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for two minutes before using!

  2. Cholla Foote

    January 16, 2013 at 4:42 pm

    Made these for 14 month old. I ground the nuts and seeds in the food pro to a consistency that she is able to digest and used softer dried fruits like blueberries and cherries. They are bland for my taste, but my daughter can’t stop eating them. My mom suggested putting whip cream on top. :)

  3. JZ

    October 8, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Made these today and they are a little bland for my taste. I would definitely add a little more salt and more sweetener. 3 tbsp of honey wasn’t quite enough

    • Gretch

      October 16, 2012 at 6:57 pm

      yes…BLAND. loved the texture though. next time more salt and more honey or maple syrup or ANYTHING.

  4. Christina Crabtree

    October 1, 2012 at 11:59 am

    Finally made these. Delicious! 4 year old, 3 year old, and 1 year old all loved them! Personally I’d like them to be a little sweeter so I’ll add a little brown sugar next batch. I chopped up the pecans (could do the same with the dried fruit) so my 1 year old could eat them. She had no problem. And the chopped nuts gave it a nice crunch. I used my 8×8 pan to make them and just cooked them an extra 5 minutes. Will be making these on a regular basis now. Thanks Cathrine for another delicious easy recipe!

  5. Beth

    September 30, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    I just made these tonight – dried cherries, no nuts (both girls are in nut free classrooms). Delicious. Next time I am making them in muffin form though.

  6. april

    September 18, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Finally made these and my 2 year old loves them. I presented them to him as a dessert and it’s something I can feel good about giving him seconds of. Made with honey and slivered almonds, cranberries and raisins. Thanks!!!

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  8. Reynaul

    August 26, 2012 at 12:26 am

    Made these today and they are yummy!

  9. Maggie

    August 25, 2012 at 8:24 pm

    We made them this afternoon and they were a huge hit, even with my 7 year old picky eater.

    We used honey instead of Agave and topped it (prior to cooking) with some of our homemade Peach and Nectarine Jam. The Jam wasn’t necessary but it added a nice little layer.

    We will be making more to freeze and include in lunh boxes for school.

  10. Allyson

    August 22, 2012 at 11:15 am

    Great recipe, thank you! I love to eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning, but as you said I don’t always have time. I am keeping these refrigerated but I found that heating it for a short time (20 seconds in the microwave, I’m sure the toaster oven would work fine as well) makes them softer and a little more oatmeal-y. Next time I plan to add nutmeg and all-spice. I used honey in place of agave, plus I added a little extra brown sugar, because I like my oatmeal a little sweeter. I cut up sunflower seeds and dried cranberries so my 14 month old could eat them, and I can’t wait to let her try one this afternoon! Thanks for a great recipe.

  11. Michele

    August 20, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Has anyone tried these without the baking soda or have a similar recipe without that ingredient? Just asking because I know the baking soda destroys some of the whole grain vitamins and for a breakfast bar I want all the nutrients possible….

  12. Julie

    August 20, 2012 at 8:56 am

    I made these with oat flour instead of whole wheat and baked about 25 minutes, so delicious!!

  13. Rebecca

    August 19, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    OMG these are just so wonderful yumm I cooked them tonight while my baby is asleep and I’m just dying for her to try them!! I’ll give it to her tomorrow and I’m sure she’ll love them too! You make such wonderful recipes and I can’t thank you enough I’m a huge fan of them!!

  14. Christina

    August 17, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    Do you know how to make rainbow candy melts peanut butter cups you don’t need to die the candy melts they have all the colors candy melts
    First melt all the colors candy melt red orange yellow green blue and purple then put 1 drop just a drop of the red candy melts then 1 drop of the orange candy melt. Then a drop of the yellow candy melt then a drop of the green candy melt then a drop of blue candy melt then a drop of purple candy melts then frees then make the peanut butter filling the take the the candy melts out put the filling in then put More of the candy melt don’t layer the candy melt put next to each candy melt like the orange candy melt will go next to the red candy melt then frees it done!

  15. Christina

    August 16, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    Can you make it at August 19

  16. Christina

    August 16, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    Don’t mix the candy melts just add a drop of candy melt

  17. Christina

    August 16, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    You just buy all the colors of the rainbow candy melts then make the peanut butter filling then add more of rainbow candy melts

  18. Christina

    August 16, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    Can you make rainbow candy melts peanut butter cups please?

    • catherine

      August 16, 2012 at 5:33 pm

      I don’t know what that is… Do you have an example?

  19. Rachel

    August 15, 2012 at 6:40 am

    Freezer tip I learned from the Meal Makeover Moms… if you have time to put things in the freezer for an hour not touching, you can then let them bunch up in the bag in the freezer without them getting stuck together. I use this tip with muffins, pancakes, waffles and granola bars all the time. So much more eco-friendly than individually wrapping them for the freezer. I’ll make these instead of the “Mom’s” recipe next time. With their bars, I pull them out of the freezer and they are ready for me to eat immediately, and softened up for my kids within about 10. They don’t have flour though, so that may make a difference. Thank you Catherine for ANOTHER great recipe!

  20. Mandy Jones

    July 12, 2012 at 9:40 am

    Can you sub honey for the agave? I’d like to try these and have everything but agave.

    • catherine

      July 12, 2012 at 11:20 am

      Yes! Honey and agave are fully interchangeable! Use the same amount of honey as the agave called for in the recipe (this applies to any recipe using honey or agave)! :)

  21. mommylynn

    July 11, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    any idea if the cooking time would diffrent if I made it in a muffin pan?

    • catherine

      July 12, 2012 at 11:41 am

      I would check them after 15 minutes!

  22. ChristIne

    March 1, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    I used almond milk for the milk plus I was out of eggs so I used 1/2 ripe mashed banana. My girls couldn’t get enough!

  23. Angela Marie C.

    February 23, 2012 at 9:54 am

    I used a 9×13 pan and cooked for exactly 20 min. They came out perfect!

  24. Jenna

    February 11, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Just made these this morning. They were super easy for me and my 2 1/2 year to make together. Something so quick, easy and healthy is great to have being 8 months pregnant and having a toddler. My husband wasn’t big on them, but I think next time I’ll drizzle his with a little maple syrup. My son and I liked them though. We omitted the nuts and added rehydrated cranberries and blueberries. The extra kick of sweetness from the fruit is a nice breakfast treat!

  25. Jen

    February 10, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Could you make them plain w/o the nuts and fruit? Would you have to alter any of the other ingredients? Please help:-)