Mixed Fruit & Oat Bars {GF, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar Free}

S’mores milkshake, marshmallow-stuffed cookies, gluten-free, dairy-free, pretty much guilt-free oat bars. It’s a natural cycle, right? I’ve officially devoted myself to being sweets-free this month, so I figured the blog should reflect that a little bit. I also mayyyy be trying to avoid thinking about dessert since there’s two huge bags of leftover Halloween candy currently hanging out in my cabinet. (Anyone interested? :P)

Anyhow, this is the kinda breakfast you look for when you’re trying to be healthy but really aren’t feeling the savory situation. Oats, dried fruits, coconut oil, and honey… we can get down with that, right? Nothing too crazy – just a simple, pretty healthy, grab-and-go breakfast or mid-day snack that’ll fill you up without weighing you down. I used a mixture of raisins, dried apricots, and dried figs, but feel free to experiment/use whatever combination of dried fruit you have at your disposal. Think of it like oatmeal in baked form – you really can’t go wrong!

Mixed Fruit & Oat Bars {GF, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar Free}

Guilt-free breakfast/snack bars loaded with oats and dried fruit – perfect to grab-and-go too!

• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 9 bars (or 16, if sliced smaller) 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 10 ounces (3 1/8 cups) old-fashioned oats*
• 3 1/8 ounces (1 cup, spoon and level) oat flour* (homemade or store-bought)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 5/8 ounces (1/3 cup) coconut oil
• 6 ounces (1/2 cup) honey
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 7/8 ounces (1/2 cup) mixed raisins
• 2 5/8 ounces (1/2 cup) chopped dried figs (use unsweetened for sugar free)
• 2 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) chopped dried apricots (use unsweetened for sugar free)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line an 8″ square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, oat flour, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse until oats are finer in texture, similar to the texture of quick-cooking oats.
3. Melt coconut oil in the microwave. Add honey and whisk in until smoothly incorporated. Beat in egg whites until combined. Beat in almond milk and vanilla extract.
4. Set aside 4 3/4 ounces (1/2 cup) of oat mixture and combine with the dried fruit, stirring together well.
5. Use a flat spatula to press half of the remaining oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Scatter the fruit mixture evenly on top and press down gently to compact. Disperse the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top and press down, covering the fruit layer completely.
6. Bake bars in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until just starting to turn golden, especially around edges. Cool bars in pan to room temperature, and then use foil to life out and slice. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

*Use certified gluten-free oats/oat flour to ensure this recipe is gluten-free

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