Soft & Chewy Applesauce Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Soft and chewy Applesauce Oatmeal Breakfast Bars made with old-fashioned rolled oats, applesauce, and peanut butter. Add nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips for an easy breakfast or snack.
Equipment
- 8-inch square baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- ½ cup dried fruit of your choice; raisins, apples, cranberries, or cherries
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the cooled bars out of the pan.
- Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, peanut butter or almond butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Make sure the nut butter is thoroughly incorporated before moving on. This helps distribute the richness evenly throughout the bars.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients & let it rest: Add the old-fashioned rolled oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Stir until everything is evenly combined. If you're using walnuts, pecans, raisins, dried apples, or mini chocolate chips, fold them in now. The batter should be thick and moist. It may look wetter than you expect at this point, but that's okay. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. This gives the rolled oats time to absorb some of the moisture from the applesauce.
- Step 4: Fill the pan: Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press the batter into an even layer, making sure it reaches the corners of the pan.
- Step 5: Bake & cool completely: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set but still soft. Start checking toward the lower end of the baking range because oven temperatures and pan materials can vary. The center shouldn't look wet, but it also shouldn't look dry and completely firm. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, lift them out using the parchment paper and cut into 8 or 16 bars. The bars become firmer as they cool, so resist the urge to cut them while they're still warm.
Notes
Storage Instructions
Store the cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. For the best texture, place parchment paper between layers if you're stacking the bars. Freezing: Once completely cooled, wrap the bars individually or place parchment between layers in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If you like a softer texture, let refrigerated or thawed bars come to room temperature before serving.Tips for Texture Success
- Use old-fashioned rolled oats. This isn't the place to substitute oats simply because they're sitting in the pantry. Quick oats can change the texture and make the bars softer and less chewy. Steel-cut oats will not become soft enough in this recipe.
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. This gives the oats time to hydrate before baking and helps the finished bars hold together.
- Don't add extra flour. The batter should be thick and moist. Adding flour to compensate for the applesauce can make the bars heavier and drier.
- Pay attention to the center. Lightly golden edges plus a soft, set center is what you're looking for. If the whole surface looks dry before you remove the pan from the oven, you've probably gone a little too far.
- Cool completely before slicing. Warm bars are much more delicate. Once cooled, they firm up enough to cut into neat squares or bars.
- Use parchment paper. It makes removing the cooled bars considerably easier and means you don't have to fight with a stuck corner when you're ready to slice them.
Substitutions & Variations
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter: These can be used interchangeably in the same quantity. Choose creamy nut butter for the smoothest batter.
- White Whole-Wheat Flour or All-Purpose Flour: Either flour works well. White whole-wheat flour gives you more whole-grain character, while all-purpose flour produces a slightly more traditional baking texture.
- Walnuts or Pecans: Or use whatever nut you prefer. Peanuts would work, too! You can also leave the nuts out entirely. Nuts add crunch and make a more substantial breakfast bar with added healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
- Dried Fruit: Any work well. Chopped dried apples reinforce the apple flavor, while raisins, dried cranberries, and dried cherries add little bursts of sweetness.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Because chocolate chips make things delicious.
Nutrition
Serving: 16gCalories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 19.4gProtein: 4.3gFat: 4.9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 110mgFiber: 1.7gSugar: 8.7g
Nutrition Facts
Soft & Chewy Applesauce Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Serving Size
16 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
134
% Daily Value*
Fat
4.9
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Sodium
110
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
19.4
g
6
%
Fiber
1.7
g
7
%
Sugar
8.7
g
10
%
Protein
4.3
g
9
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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