Full of apples, oatmeal, and cinnamon, these apple cinnamon breakfast bars are super filling and delicious! These bars are refined sugar free, dairy free, and gluten free! If you need a change from your normal breakfast rut, look no further!
What You'll Need to Make These Bars
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in some of those breakfast bars that are out there? Most of them have tons of sugar in them and maybe one or two pieces of nuts. The great thing about these bars is you can add anything you want to them, and they are refined sugar free! I think granola bars are one of those things that are definitely better homemade.
These bars are really easy to make. You don't need any special equipment, and they come together in just a few minutes. All you need is some measuring spoons and some measuring cups like these, a bowl, a mixing spoon, box grater, and a 9x13 inch pan. If you don't have some of those things in your kitchen I've added links for you to grab some.
Dry Ingredients
Rolled Oats- Double check your rolled oats to make sure they are gluten free. If you have a gluten intolerance, use whatever type of oats you like. If you don't have a gluten intolerance, use the best type of rolled oats you can find. These are some great ones! Mostly importantly to note, do not use instant oats. They will just disintegrate and not give you the great texture and chew that the rolled oats give you.
Chia Seeds- These are the chia seeds that I use. I bought them a while back and they are great! They last for a really long time and therefore, I can add them to any baked goods to give my kids added nutrition. Did you know chia seeds are loaded with fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids? Sneak them in where ever you can!
Wet Ingredients
Maple Syrup- Since this is the only type of sugar we have in the bars, try to use the best quality maple syrup you can find. We head to Maine every Summer and at the end of the Summer we go to a sugar shack close to our house and buy a jug of maple syrup to use throughout the winter. If you don't have access to something like that, you can buy tons of great maple syrup options at the grocery stores or even here on Amazon.
Apples- I used gala apples because of the added sweetness that they bring. Similarly, you could also use Fuji or Golden delicious apples. On the other hand, I would stay away from apples like Granny Smith because of how tart they are. The apples add sweetness that granulated sugar would normally bring, so you want to make sure the apples aren't tart.
Almond Milk- Use unsweetened vanilla extract here to loosen the batter up a bit and make them more of a cakey bar. You could use regular almond milk, just up the amount of vanilla extract you use. If you only had regular milk on hand, that would work perfectly here too.
How to Make these Bars
No heavy machinery is needed for these! And by heavy machinery I mean stand mixer or hand mixer, of course. All you need to do is add everything to a bowl and mix it up! First add the oats and maple syrup. Then, peel and grate the apple into the same bowl. Mix the ingredients to combine. Then add everything else to the bowl and mix to combine. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by either spraying it or lining the pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. You'll know the bars are done when the edges are brown. Allow the bars to cool for a bit before you cut them so they stay together better. Serve immediately or keep in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Variations on these Bars
I highly recommend you get creative with these bars! They are so versatile and therefore, can have tons of different variations. Consider adding chocolate chips, walnuts, raisins, or even topping them with salted caramel sauce. Any dried fruit or nut could be added to these bars to make them even more delicious!
Not a fan of chia seeds? No worries! Leave them out or substitute sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. If you don't have coconut oil, you can use regular butter or you can use your favorite oil, such as avocado or light olive oil.
Instead of making these into bars, you could make them into cookies. Spoon some batter onto cookie sheets prepared with a silicon mat. Bake them for 15 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Yum!
Other Recipes you will love!
Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Rolled Oats
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Apple Grated
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9x13inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or spraying it with a cooking spray so the bars do not stick.
- Peel and grate an apple into a large bowl. Add the oats and maple syrup. Mix to combine.
- Add the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Add the almond milk, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and chia seeds. Mix everything together to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 9x13inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Allow the bars to cool before you cut them. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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Definitely will make these instead of muffins next time.