Raspberry Oat Bars

These homemade granola bars are egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. They are great for breakfast or for an on the go snack!

These raspberry oat bars are a great recipe to make with your little ones. I had my toddler help me make them, and it was a great activity to get him involved in the kitchen. I premeasured the ingredients and had him help me assemble everything and he loved seeing the results of his hard work!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Here is what you’ll need to make these raspberry oat bars:

• Rolled Oats: I love baking with rolled oats as they are packed with nutrition! Gluten-free rolled oats make these raspberry oat bars gluten-free.
• Oat Flour: I usually make my own oat flour by blending rolled oats in a flour!
• Cinnamon: Provides an extra warm spice.
• Baking Powder: Leavening agent for the bars.
• Vanilla Extract: Slightly enhances the natural sweetness of these bars.
• Banana: Main source of sweetness for these bars. Try to use a banana that is very ripe with several brown spots.
• Oil: I used extra light tasting olive oil, but any other mild tasting oil works as well.
• Maple Syrup: For slight added sweetness to the bars.
• Raspberries: Base ingredient for the filling to these bars.
• Lime Juice: Used to balance out the flavors in the filling.

PROCESS

1. Combine the oats, oat flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl. 
2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana and in the vanilla, oil and maple syrup. Mix until combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Mix together until well combined and press this mixture into the bottom of a loaf pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the base sets.
5. While it is baking, cook down the berries in a pan with a little squeeze of lime juice until it becomes a jelly-like consistency. Add a little maple syrup to the berries for a little extra sweetness if desired. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
6. Mix together oats, oil and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
7. Pour the berry mixture on top of the base and sprinkle the cinnamon oat mixture on top.
8. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top. Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Once cooled, slice into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Berries: Any berry may be used in this recipe. You may also use cooked down apples!
• Oil: The oil may be replaced with equal parts melted butter. I used extra light tasting olive oil in this recipe. You may also replace it with another mild tasting oil.

RECIPE NOTES

• Use overripe bananas for more sweetness. The maple syrup adds a little more sweetness, but the riper the bananas, the better.
• I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar.
• You can make your own oat flour by just blending up old fashioned rolled oats! You may purchase oat flour separately, but making your own is so simple and much more economical!
• For gluten free bars, be sure to use certified gluten free oats.

You may also like:

• Berry Oat Bites
• Peanut Butter and Banana Granola Bars
• Strawberry Cheesecake Roll-Ups