The Best Berry Oatmeal Bars Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are oatmeal bars healthy? ›

Are Oat Bars Healthy? Yes, oat bars can be packed with essential nutrients that fuel your mind and body and keep you satiated all day long. That is, as long as you're choosing healthy oat bars with a bit of protein, fiber and healthy fats and you're keeping sugars to a minimum.

Cook on medium-high heat about 5 minutes until your oatmeal begins to thicken. Add the frozen fruit to your oatmeal and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until the berries begin to soften.

Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers. When you're ready, preheat the oven to 350, cover the oatmeal bars with foil and leave them in the oven for 20 minutes or until warm. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1 minute.

Frozen fruits and berries are safe to consume raw, cooked or even frozen out of the bag. However, frozen vegetables should always be cooked before consumption to minimize any foodborne illness risk. Luckily for us, there are several ways to make frozen vegetables just as delicious as fresh.

You can ensure that the berries are safe to eat by boiling for one minute, which will destroy viruses, if present.

Using the right binding agent in your granola bar recipe is a crucial part of keeping your bars from falling apart. While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we've found that the binding agent that works the best is honey!

Research shows that oat fiber (beta-glucan) can help lower cholesterol, and antioxidant compounds in oats can help decrease chronic inflammation. For athletes, oats are a terrific source of carbohydrates to help fuel muscles.

Fresh fruit: berries, bananas, apples, peaches, mango, or pears. Spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or nutmeg. Natural sweeteners: a dash of maple syrup or honey. Unsweetened or lightly sweetened chocolate: shaved dark chocolate (with a cocoa content of 70% or more)

For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour. The flour will stop them sinking to the bottom of your mixture in the oven and can stop them bursting or their colour from bleeding.

What fruit can you put in oatmeal? ›

You can use any combination of fruit and nuts you like and have on hand. My last batch had raisins, dates, blueberries, apples, pecans, and almonds.

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

Store them in the fridge or freezer.

They'll keep for up to a week in the fridge, but you can also freeze them for up to 2 months. I like to eat these granola bars straight out of the fridge, but if they're frozen, let them thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes before you eat.

Baked oatmeal bars should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for about five days. When you're ready to eat, you can serve them cold, at room temperature, or warm.

Spread your fruit on a plate lined with a paper towel, then microwave it in 30-second bursts until it's thawed. Place the frozen fruit in a plastic bag, then place the plastic bag in a bowl of cold water for 2 hours. Leave your frozen fruit in a refrigerator set to 40 °F (4 °C) for 6-8 hours.

At the very least, it's an opportunity to fuel your morning and fit in some vital nutrients. When frozen red raspberries are on the menu, you'll be kicking your day off with gorgeous gems that are an excellent source of immune-supporting vitamin C.