Oil Free Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars
These crazy-easy oil and nut free oatmeal bars are the perfect quick breakfast or snack for you and/or your kiddos!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups instant oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons flax meal (can omit)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 large apple cored & sliced vertically into 1/4" thick slices
Instructions
- Add 2 cups instant oats to a blender or food processor and blend until it forms a flour consistency. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch overhanging the edges.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour you created, the remaining 1 1/2 cups instant oats, cinnamon, baking powder, flax meal and sea salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together applesauce, egg, maple syrup and molasses. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Press half of your oat mixture in the baking pan. Use a dampened spatula to help spread. Cover with a snug layer of sliced apples, slightly overlapping. Press apples gently into oats. Top with remaining oat mixture. It’s a little sticky, but keep dampening your spatula with water and it will spread (it doesn’t have to look perfect!). If you have some leftover apple slices, you can press them into the top.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from the baking dish. Cool another 30 minutes before slicing. Bars will keep tightly sealed on the counter for 2 days and refrigerated for 5. You can also freeze them up to 2 months.
