Strawberry oat bars are lightly sweet, vegan, dairy free and gluten free, chewy bars with a homemade strawberry filling for a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast is honestly one of my favorite meals. I could eat it any time of the day, and even as a snack.
The other week, I was at the grocery store and noticed these Quaker Oats Strawberry Breakfast Squares.
I decided to pick up a box, because I thought they would be a good snack, or quick breakfast option.
They were honestly super delicious, but looking at the ingredients and sugar content gave me pause.
With 15 grams of sugar, and brown sugar being the third ingredient on the list, I thought it was time to create these at home.
Strawberry oat bars: the base
The base for these strawberry oat bars is actually really simple.
Start with oat flour. You can either buy oat flour {this will be finer}, or you can make your own, by using old fashioned oats and blending them until they’re a flour-like consistency.
I prefer making my own because it’s inexpensive and can be done very quickly in a blender.
While oats are naturally gluten free, you’ll want to make sure they weren’t processed in a factory that contains gluten. If you’re unsure, I would suggest buying gluten free oats.
I love the chewy and nutty texture that oats bring. Not only that, but they’re part of a heart-healthy breakfast, provide a whole lot of fiber, and are an all-around great whole grain to add to your daily routine.
As for the rest of the base, we obviously need to have something to hold the bars all together.
That’s where pure maple syrup and unsweetened applesauce come into play. The syrup adds the sweetness we’re looking for {replacing brown sugar in the Quaker bars}. And the applesauce adds the moisture for a chewy strawberry oat bar.
Strawberry oat bars: the filling
Making your own strawberry jam or filling is actually quite simple.
I did a play off of this cherry pie filling {which you have to make these cheesecake bars…they’re delish!} and created a thick strawberry filling instead.
Using frozen strawberries and pure maple syrup and some corn starch, we’re able to create a healthy strawberry jam that plays perfectly with the oat portion of the strawberry oat bars.
Strawberry oat bars: putting it all together
All that’s left to do is assemble the bars. Sounds more complicated than it actually is.
Simply spread half of the oat mixture on the bottom of your greased pan. Pour that delicious strawberry filling over the top. Then top with the remaining oat mixture and bake.
What you’re left with is a lightly sweet and chewy oat bar that’s perfect for a quick snack or on-the-go breakfast.
It also makes for a really great “granola” if you want to crumble it over some yogurt and fruit in the morning.
Let me know in the comments how you plan to enjoy one of these strawberry oat bars!
Looking for more healthy breakfast ideas? Check these out:
Healthy Cinnamon Ricotta Pancakes
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie
Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
Strawberry oat bars are lightly sweet, vegan, dairy free and gluten free, chewy bars with a homemade strawberry filling for a healthy breakfast.
- 2 1/2 cups oat flour*
- 1 cup instant oats
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 egg**
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
- 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 Tbsp. corn starch
- 3 Tbsp. water
-
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9″ x 9″ pan with baking spray.
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
-
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the applesauce, pure maple syrup, olive oil, egg {or flax egg} and vanilla.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
-
Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the strawberries, pure maple syrup and vanilla.
-
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft.
-
In a small bowl, stir together the corn starch and water. Pour into the strawberry mixture and stir until thick. Remove from heat.
-
In the jar of a blender, add the strawberry ingredients {removing the cap in the blender lid}, and blend until smooth.
-
Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam over the top. Spread the remaining oat mixture over the top.***
-
Bake for 20-23 minutes, until oats are set. Let cool and slice into 12 bars.
*Note: you can make your own oat flour by blending 2 2/3 cup old fashioned oats in a blender until they reach a flour-like consistency.
**Note: to make vegan, use 1 flax egg – 1 Tbsp. flax meal with 3 Tbsp. water
***Note: because the strawberry mixture is still quite smooth, it’s best to spread the remaining oat mixture from the outside corners in.
