Cherry Oatmeal Bars
Healthy Cherry Oatmeal Bars are made with a chewy oat crust, a no-cornstarch cherry chia jam, and a crumbly oat topping. Each bar is just 157 calories, naturally gluten-free, and free of butter and refined sugar.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup Oat Flour gluten free if needed
- 1 ½ cups Rolled Oats gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup Olive Oil or oil of choice
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the cherry layer:
- 1 ½ cups Cherries frozen and thawed
- 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Monkfruit or zero calorie sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cherries, monkfruit and chia seeds. Cook 10 minutes, stirring and breaking down the cherries to mash them until they become a jam like texture. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the gluten free oats, gluten free flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
- Add the maple syrup, applesauce and extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine. The mixture should stick together. If you need more liquid, add a bit of water until it combines fully.
- Set aside a 1/2 cup of the mixture. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Top the mixture with the cherry jam then drop the 1/2 cup of reserved oat mixture on top of the jam like a crumble.
- Bake for 30 minutes then cool completely before slicing into 12 bars.
Video
Notes
- Press firmly. Use a flat-bottomed cup to pack the base. It makes cleaner slices and sturdier bars than pressing with your fingers.
- Taste the jam. Cherries vary in sweetness. Stir in extra monkfruit while it's still warm if yours are tart.
- Chill before cutting. 30 minutes in the fridge after cooling gives the cleanest slices. Wipe your knife between cuts.
- Lift, don't cut in the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out, then slice on a cutting board.
- Storage. Store the bars in the refrigerator up to 7 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg