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Recipe: Goji-Cacao Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

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by

Allie
in

These delicious baked oatmeal bars are a great option for an on-the-go breakfast or snack. Oatmeal has tons of heart-healthy fiber that has been shown to lower cholesterol and aid digestion. The bars are also packed with nuts, good fats and a little natural sweetness. They’re sure to keep you full and satisfied!

Dried Goji berries (the red berries pictured left), native to Asia, can be found at most large grocery or health food stores. They’re usually either packaged in the nut aisle, or sold in the bulk section. They are considered “superfoods” because they contain powerful antioxidants, as well as zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and 8 essential amino acids (protein). For the chocolate in this recipe, we used 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate discs from the baking aisle- but you can simply use raw cocoa powder, cacao nibs, or any brand of unsweetened baking chocolate. Just make sure that there are no other ingredients besides cocoa beans and cocoa butter.
These bars are best made the night before consumption. Letting them “set” in the fridge gives the ingredients time to firm up so the bars will slice evenly. If you want to eat them while they’re warm, you can, but you might need a spoon! The topping on these bars is a crumbly mixture that contains Hemp seeds for a little boost of Omega 3’s.

Ingredients

(Makes approx. 9-12 bars)

Base

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup slivered almonds (preferably raw)
  • 1/2 cup raw pecans, walnuts, cashews or other nut of choice
  • 1/2 cup dried Goji berries
  • 3-8 unsweetened chocolate discs OR 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder OR cacao nibs. (Adjust according to how chocolate-y you want your bars to be).
  • 2 small-medium ripe bananas (or 1 large)
  • 4 tablespoons raw honey (Adjust according to sweetness preferences)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1 scoop plant-based protein powder (optional)

 

Topping (See No-Bake Topping option below)
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup dried Goji berries
  • 2 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
  • 2-3 tablespoons raw shredded coconut
  • 2-3 tablespoons almond milk or nut milk of choice (use less if using no-bake method).

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Prepare a 9×9 baking pan by lightly greasing with coconut oil or lining with parchment paper.
  3. Combine ingredients in food processor fitted with S-blade and pulse or grind until a thick batter is formed. It should be fairly thick and sticky, not liquid. If it seems too watery, add more oats.
  4. With a spatula, smooth mixture into baking pan as evenly as possible.
  5. Bake for 12 minutes, or until mixture no longer feels wet to the touch.*
  6. In a medium bowl, stir topping ingredients together with a spoon or spatula. Spread topping evenly over bar base.
  7. Return to oven and bake an additional 8 minutes.
  8. Let bars cool. Cover with plastic and store in fridge overnight, or for a minimum of 2 hours before slicing.
Note: We baked the bars for an additional 8 minutes after adding the topping so that they would stick together nicely, but if you prefer a slightly richer alternative, you can opt for the no-bake method:
  1. Add 8 minutes to the bars’ initial baking time. *
  2. Mix the topping with 3 tablespoons peanut butter (or other nut butter).
  3. Spread topping evenly over baked bars.
  4. Allow to set in fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight before slicing.

*Bake time may be longer for thicker bars.

Bars are best stored in the fridge, as they will be soft when warm.

Dietary Guide:
Gluten Free– Yes*
Dairy Free– Yes
Sugar Free– No
Vegetarian– Yes
Vegan– Yes
Nut Free– No

*pure oats by themselves are gluten free, however, most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley and rye.

Nutrition facts (approximate)
Whole recipe (without protein powder, with baked topping option)
2,908 Calories, 321g Carbs (112g Sugar), 159g Fat, 76g Protein, 123mg Sodium 

Serving sizes will vary. To figure out the nutrition per serving, simply divide the figures above by the number of servings you’ve made.

Did you make this recipe? What did you think? Let us know in the comments, or e-mail julia@ombodyhealth.com.