Ingredients
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | rolled oats |
| 1 cup | oat flour |
| 1 tsp | cinnamon |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 1/4 tsp | salt |
| 2 | ripe bananas |
| 1/2 cup | plant-based milk |
| 1-2 tbsp | maple syrup |
| 1/3 cup | walnuts |
| 5 | medjool dates |
| 1/4 cup | coconut flakes |
| 2 tbsp | chia seeds |
Cooking Instructions
I preheated the oven to 350°F and lined a baking pan with parchment paper. I used a 12 x 9 pan but I would suggest using something smaller. Then, I made my oat flour by putting a cup of oats in a blender and blending until it became a powder. You can also buy oat flour already made but I find it very easy to make and my ninja blender has no issues doing it.
| Wet and Dry Ingredients | Mixed Ingredients |
|---|---|
 |  |
I mixed the dry ingredients (oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) in a large bowl. I added the 2 bananas to a medium bowl and mashed them. I added the maple syrup and plant-based milk to the bananas and mixed it up. I put the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mixed it up. I folded in the chopped walnuts, chopped medjool dates, coconut flakes and chia seeds.
| Uncooked | Uncooked with Toppings | Baked |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
I placed the oat bar batter into a 12 x 9 pan lined with parchment paper and spread it out. My pan was a bit too big but it was the closest one to the right size. The batter is thick and not running though so I was able to spread it out to the size I wanted. I added more toppings which is optional but I thought it made them look prettier. I added the same ingredients I folded into the batter (chopped walnuts, chopped medjool dates, coconut flakes and chia seeds). Then, I baked it for 20 minutes. I let them cool 10 minutes before cutting them into squares.
Taste
These vegan oat bars are super healthy. They are low sugar only calling for 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup. The rest of the sweetness comes from the fructose in the bananas and dates. They are also gluten free using oat flour. They taste like eating banana bread and oatmeal in bar form at the same time. I absolutely love these! The chia seeds add healthy fats and protein. The walnuts add a nice nutty flavour. The dates become soft when baked and are nice pops of sweetness when you get some in your bite. They are best when they first come out of the oven and still warm. I ended up putting them in the fridge and taking them to work with me as snacks. I have a stack of various vegan protein bars at work with me that I usually go to when I need a snack later in the day when I start getting tired. But, I took these with me and snacked on them instead and it felt healthier and kept me fueled longer.
Price
These oat bars are pretty cheap to make. I was able to get a huge thing of oats for $2 that could make this recipe a few times. The toppings is where it gets a little more pricey to make these but you can change them to whatever you want. You can always use whatever you have in your pantry. The coconut flakes and chia seeds are fairly cheap. I have huge bags of them I bought on amazon and use in many recipes. The medjool dates and walnuts are more expensive but you only need a handful of each. Overall, its fairly cheap to make this recipe and you can make it cheaper using cheaper toppings, such as, delnor dates instead of medjool.
Aesthetic
These are beautiful bars. They look warm and comforting. The walnuts and toppings popping through give it great texture. The coconut flakes look like snow scattered on top. The rolled oats remind me of a nice homemade bread.
Ease
It was simple and easy to make these oat bars. You need two bowls to mix the ingredients. Then, you mix everything in a bowl, pour it in a pan and bake it. It doesn't take much time to prepare all the ingredients either was it is pretty minimal.
Would I make it again?
I love how easy these are to make and they make great snacks that are not only healthy but keep your fueled longer. They also taste like banana bread which is a win for me. I will definitely make these again as snacks for work.