Recipe: $3.20 | Per Serving: $0.40 | Yield: 8
When I know I have an early wake up call, the first thing I do is plan my breakfast. Usually we have time for oatmeal or eggs, or at least granola and yogurt, but we had a 10K on Sunday morning (a week ago) with a 5:40am wake-up call. So on Saturday afternoon, I made these really easy Pear Baked Oatmeal Bars. Because FOOD.
I fully intended on making someone else's tried-and-true recipe for breakfast bars, but I had already gone to the grocery store, so I was stuck using whatever I had in the pantry. Which always leads to/requires innovation. (<--actually typed innovacation there, definitely ready for a vacation.)
To keep it as simple as I could, I decided to basically just make a slightly firmer baked oatmeal and cut it into bars. We each ate 1-2 of these with a hardboiled egg before our race, and I was definitely fully satisfied. They're a little sweet from the pears and the 2 dates, but definitely in a healthy-breakfast-not-dessert kind of way. I could take these to work as a snack, pack them for hiking or camping, or just chomp them in the wee morning hours. All good things.
The remaining bars were pretty sweet to have available the rest of the week, especially when I was too.tired.to.think.
We eat oatmeal pretty regularly for breakfast here (super cheap & easy), but having oatmeal bars was even easier! You can nuke them in the microwave, or give them a little time in the toaster oven, or eat them cold, like we usually did.
Pear Baked Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups pears about 3 small, roughly chopped - or feel free to use apples, bananas, etc.
- 2 dates or 1.5 tablespoons date puree
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- butter or coconut oil to grease baking dish
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda) in a large bowl and set aside.
- Roughly chop the pears and place in blender or food processor with the two dates (or date puree). Blend until a thick applesauce-ish texture is reached, stopping to stir or scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the milk, water, and vanilla and stir well.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir well. Grease 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or oil and pour mixture into baking dish.
- Bake on 375ºF for 25 minutes.
I am very happy to have stumbled upon your site. I am loving everything that I'm seeing. The combination of everything sounds and looks delicious. I can't wait to start trying your recipes. The baked oatmeal bars i will defiantly give a try with my girls. Thank you for sharing. Kind regards, Monica :)
Thanks Monica!