October 26, 2012

Bill & Mary's Oatty Bar Recipe

We developed this recipe as a great snack (or even meal) while riding our bikes or hiking.  They're simple and easy to make, taste great, and they follow our lifestyle diet.  They're Whole Food, Plant Based, with no added fat or sweeteners.

Ingredients: 
  • 4 - Ripe Bananas - mashed
  • 1 Cup - Fruit Puree - e.g. mashed ripe pears, Unsweetened Apple Sauce, etc. your choice.
  • 2 Cups - Blueberries - frozen is fine.
  • 1 Cup - Chopped, Toasted Raw Almonds
  • 1+ T - Vanilla Extract
  • 1+ T - Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp - Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ tsp - Kosher Salt (optional for hot days)
  • 6 Cups - "Old Fashioned Oatmeal" - the 5 minute kind, NOT instant.
  • ¾ to 1½ - Cup Water (optional if mix is too dry)
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 F
  • Combine bananas and fruit puree and mix to combine.  You can use a potato masher if starting with whole ripe fruit.
  • Add the Blueberries, Almonds, and Seasonings and mix to combine.
  • Add the Oatmeal and mix to combine.
  • At this point the mixture should be very moist, but not wet.  If too dry, add water and continue mixing.
  • Pour mixture into an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish lined with Parchment paper We don't use any oil or spray - you don't need to do anything fancy with the parchment, a wrinkle won't hurt, we just push it down into the pan, make sure that the parchment extends above all 4 sides of the pan.  You can use a bigger baking disk if you like a thinner, chewier bar.  
  • Distribute the mixture to an even thickness and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 F.  It's done when the center of the pan is firm.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely.  We generally leave the pan on a cooling rack for about half an hour, then lift the contents out by the parchment and place on a cooling rack.  After another hour or so, we flip the bars onto the other side and peel off the parchment.
  • When cooled to room temperature, you can cut the bars with a sharp knife. We generally cut in half and then in half again, each way to make 16 bars. If the middle four are still too moist to hold together, pop those back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 350.
Troubleshooting:
  • Too Dry - next time add more fruit puree and/or cut down baking time (but don't go under 30 minutes)
  • Too Wet - pop back in the oven at 350 F.  Next time, increase cooking time or cut down on fruit puree and/or water.
  • Think it needs something else?  Try a little ground clove or other spices. This also pretty much works with any ripe fruit or fruit puree.
Let us know what you think and if these work for you!

Cheers,
Bill and Mary