Try these Apple Cinnamon Oat Bars next time you find yourself with some extra apples at home.
This recipe uses basic ingredients, but there’s a twist. Instead of using store-bought applesauce, we are making our own in the blender!
When I bake these, the house smells like apple pie! The whole family enjoys them and they tend to disappear within 24 hours so I’ll call that a winning recipe.
Apple Cinnamon Oat Bars
I tried this recipe a couple of different ways. With applesauce, and without. With egg, and without. This version offers the best balance of flavor, fiber, and texture. A filling treat with layers of apples, nuts, and a healthy dose of protein.
My version is a riff off of Laura Lea’s version. I’ve simplified it as I try to eliminate all excess steps.
You will be making your own oat flour in a high-speed blender. (I have the Blendtec one.) If you don’t have that or a Vitamix, then buy oat flour ahead of time. (saves you another step!)
RELATED: How to Make Sheet Pan Pancakes
Parchment and Binder Clips
I always use binder clips to keep the parchment paper on my baking pans. Whether it’s a loaf pan or a square baking dish, these clips are like an extra set of hands.
If you have metal clips, they can go right into the oven!
Parchment sheets are also something I always keep stocked in my pantry. No more fighting with a hard-to-tear piece of paper. These are the unbleached parchment paper sheets I buy.
Oat Bar Cooking Tutorial
I have some new online cooking classes in the works. To help me get ready I’m doing a few extra cooking demos on Instagram. Here’s the demo on YouTube, or you can find it on my IGTV channel. (the layout is perfect for IG, not so much on YouTube…if only tech was easier, right?)
Apple Cinnamon Oat Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 tbsp water
- 3.5 cups rolled oats divided
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 apples
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup almond milk sub regular milk or cashew milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup raisins sub currants
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup walnuts divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, or grease well.
- Mix together water and chia seeds in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
- In a high-speed blender, add 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats. Blend on high until you reach a flour consistency.
- In a large bowl, add the oat flour, the remaining 1 cup of oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Core and roughly chop two apples. Place them in the blender along with the chia seed mixture (wait till it's a gel-like consistency), almond milk, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour the blender ingredients into the flour bowl and mix well. Add in the raisins and walnuts.
- Thinly slice the other apples into half-moons.
- Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it out evenly.
- Add a layer of apples so they cover the batter. Top with the remaining batter.
- If you have extra apple slices use those to decorate the top. Otherwise use a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts as a topping. (optional)
- Bake 25-27 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. The bars need to cool completely to avoid crumbling. Let sit in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove bars with parchment sheet and let cool another 15 minutes before diving in.
- Store on the counter for 2 days, or in your fridge for up to 6 days. Freezes well for up to 3 months.
Notes
Pin this for later and sharing is caring. Thanks for trying out these Apple Cinnamon Oat Bars! Let me know how they come out over in our Facebook group Eat Well, Live Well.
