Nutty Oat Bars
Nutty Oat Bars
This is one of our favorite snacks: totally satisfying and so much better than store bought. You can use any mixture of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit you like: almonds, walnuts, pecans, or peanuts; sunflower or pumpkin seeds; dates, raisins, or dried cherries or cranberries. Our Kids Advisory Board recipe tester Siddharth rolled the mixture into balls instead of pressing it out and cutting it into bars, and it worked great!
kitchen gear
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 8-inch square baking pan or plastic container
- Wax paper or plastic wrap
- Large bowl
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats(also known as “rolled oats”)
- 2 cups cups chopped raw or toasted nuts, seeds, chopped dried fruit, and/or unsweetened shredded coconut (any combination)
- 1 cup nut or seed butter(such as peanut, almond, or sunflower seed)
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line the pan or container with the wax paper or plastic wrap, making sure that enough hangs over the edge on one side to cover the pan afterward.
- Put all the ingredients in the bowl and mix until it holds together. If it’s too dry, add a little more nut butter, maple syrup, or honey; if it’s too sticky, add a little more oats.
- Put the mixture in the pan and press it down with your hands until it is as flat and tight as possible (oiling your hands first makes this easier).
- Use the extra overhang of the wax paper or plastic to cover the bars. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. Individually wrap all the bars in wax paper or plastic and store them in the fridge, or just cut bars as you want them.