Breakfast is so important, yet it often happens in a rush as everyone is trying to get to work and school in time. This sweet and chewy oat bar is easy to prepare in advance (it keeps for a few days in the fridge) and makes a great breakfast top up that can be enjoyed on the go. Tastes great as it is, but is even more delicious, nutritious and filling if made into a nut butter ‘sandwich’.
What you need:
150ml apple juice
1 large or 2 small apples – grated
1 tbsp date sugar or maple syrup
Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
2 handfuls of raisins
1 handful of walnuts - chopped
2 tbsp milled flaxseed
70g porridge oats (or 90g of porridge oats if you’re not using jumbo oats)
20g jumbo oats
Nut butter of choice
How you do it:
In a pan bring the apple juice and grated apple to the boil.
Turn down the heat and add date sugar, raisins, cinnamon and flaxseed and give a good stir.
Now add walnut pieces and oats and simmer on low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid it from sticking to the pan.
On a lined baking tray spread the oat mix evenly (about 1cm thick), try to get the edges as straight as possible.
Bake it for approx. 30 minutes, turning it over half way through (I find this works best when I place the grill rack on top of the now slightly browned oat bar, then flip it over so it is now on the rack, gently remove the baking paper and put the rack on to the baking tray returning the oat bar to the oven).
Leave to cool and cut it into even rectangles, before spreading half of them with nut butter and putting the other halves on top.
* Add nut butter just before eating your breakfast bar as it won’t keep as long as it does plain.
