Peanut Butter Almond Oat Squares

Back in college I used to buy those Quaker Oats "Oatmeal-to-Go" Bars, and man were they good.  It was like having a cookie for breakfast!  They even had icing!  And, I was always running out the door (late, most likely) to get somewhere, so they were quite convenient when I didn't have time for my usual bowl of cereal.  Even though my life has done a serious 180 since college, both in terms of how I eat and what my schedule looks like, I've still been in a pinch one too many times where I needed something to eat and didn't have the time or energy to make it from scratch.  Plus, I have a husband that goes off to work everyday, and the boy has zero fat stores, so I gotta keep the food supply coming!  I've seen people around the web make homemade versions of these oatmeal-to-go bars and thought I'd try them out.  

I think these are a great alternative to the store-bought version - they are whole grain, dairy-free, don't contain preservatives or artificial ingredients, have much less sugar, and are sweetened with unrefined maple syrup.   And instead of icing, they are topped with "all-natural sprinkles", i.e. nuts and oats ;)  There really are a gazillion varieties out there to try (just do a quick Pinterest search for more ideas!).  This one of ours has a fairly simple flavor with hints of vanilla and maple, a slight crunch from the nuts, and is only mildly sweet (there, you've been warned ;)  

In general I give this concept of an "oatmeal bar" the stamp of approval for an easy homemade snack or breakfast if you are trying to eat less processed food.  They aren't too complicated to make and you can make a big ole batch all at once and keep them for a good while in the freezer.  They are great for eating at home or taking on the go.  And if you wrap them up individually in plastic wrap, which is ideal for freezing anyway, they're all ready to be grabbed in a hurry as needed!

Peanut Butter Almond Oat Squares

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups old-fashioned, rolled oats

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened, salted)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup almond milk (or another non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 heaping cup almonds

optional: additional handful of oats and chopped almonds to sprinkle on top

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all wet ingredients and stir until well-combined.  You can do all of this by hand too, the stand mixer just makes it easier and faster!  Also, make sure to melt your coconut oil before adding to the other wet ingredients.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except the almonds.  Then, with the mixer running on low, spoon your dry ingredients into the bowl and let stir until the consistency is similar to that of a cookie dough.
3.  Use a food processor or knife and cutting board to coarsely chop a heaping cup of almonds, then add to the dough and mix well.  Be careful not to chop them too finely, you want the nuts to add some texture and crunch to the bar.

4.  Gently press dough into a 9" x 12" cookie sheet or baking pan.  Really, you can use any size dish you'd like, it will just change the thickness and maybe the cook time.  Sprinkle additional oats and chopped almonds on top if desired (I like to add this, but FYI - this makes for a few extra crumbs).  

5.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes.  With this amount of cook time, the bars will be fairly soft and need to be handled gently, but once refrigerated they firm up a bit.  

6.  Once cooled, cut into squares and store in an air-tight container in the fridge, or wrap bars individually and freeze.  They're good eaten cold (not frozen, of course) or might even be good warmed up a bit.

SERVINGS:

Makes 12 large squares.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1.  You can easily make substitutions to this recipe to make it work for you.  Butter would be a fine alternative to coconut oil, any milk you keep on hand would work in place of almond milk, and honey or other liquid sweetener could be used instead of maple syrup.  Or, search the web for more ideas!