I’m excited to be sharing this recipe again. It’s for a healthier oatmeal cookie that works even better when made as a bar.
I love bars because, well, they don’t feel as much like a ‘cheat’ or a treat as a cookie does, plus they’re easy to send in a lunch box or snack bag. And, if I’m being honest, they’re 100 times easier to bake than cookies. I just don’t often have the patience for scooping dough onto cookie sheets and waiting the 10 minutes while they slowly bake, batch-by-batch. I’d rather press it all into a baking dish and bake it in one swoop.
I generally use diced apples, goji berries and apricots when I make this recipe but you could substitute in any dried fruit. Raisins, cranberries, dates, prunes, figs or mango would all work well. As long as you keep the ratios consistent and you don’t choose a fresh fruit that will introduce too much moisture, you should be fine!
I always use organic ingredients whenever possible, especially when it comes to the eggs, butter and other dairy products. And I like my bulky ingredients - the flour and oats in this case - to be organic as well.
I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and EOW’s family has!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole wheat flour or a cup-for-cup GF flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup (1 stick) organic butter – at room temperature
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
2 organic eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup milk or a non-dairy milk of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small apple – peeled and chopped
1/2 cup goji berries or raisins
1/2 cup dates or apricots – chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)
1 1/2 cups coconut
3 cups old fashioned organic oats
DIRECTIONS
In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs, honey, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and consistent. Slowly add in dry mixture and mix together. Stir in oats, coconut, fruit and nuts.
Press the mixture into a 9x13” cake pan. Bake 15-20 minutes in a 350-degree oven, or until knife comes out clean.
Let cool then cut into bars and enjoy!
