Name: DIY Breakfast Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups / 375 ml oatmeal; 2 cups / 500 ml whole wheat flour; 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt; 3/4 cup / 187.5 ml brown sugar; 1/2 cup / 125 ml butter (cut into 1/2" cubes); 1/2 cup / 125 ml olive oil; 3/4 cup / 187.5 ml jam or fruit sauce

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If you can’t be cheerful, be as cheerful as you can. ~L.M. Montgomery

Breakfast isn’t everybody’s favorite meal of the day, even though we’ve been told all these years that it’s the most important.

Some bodies just aren’t interested in food until they’ve had time to move about in the day. Or just sit and let the morning sink in.

Some of us must put off breakfast until after coffee.

Mornings can be a touchy time of day, even with all good intentions.

These DIY Breakfast Bars help.

They are full of whole grains and freeze well, so they are ready whenever you need them.

The bars are an adaptation of Homemade Cereal Bar Cookies from Once a Month Meals.

This version whizzes the oats in a food processor for a slightly finer texture, and uses all whole-wheat flour. I also replaced half the butter with olive oil, omitted the vanilla and added a touch of salt.

I usually fill these with jam, but you can use a thick fruit sauce if you prefer. In the summer I like to use roasted rhubarb. (You can find the instructions for making it on this recipe for Rhubarb Ginger Oatmeal Bars.)

These bars are much more substantial than the ones you can buy in the store, and even picky morning eaters will like them.

5 from 1 vote

DIY Breakfast Bars

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Keep a batch of these bars on hand for quick and easy breakfasts. They also make good snacks for school and after.

Servings: 2 dozen

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups / 375 ml oatmeal
2 cups / 500 ml whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
3/4 cup / 187.5 ml brown sugar
1/2 cup / 125 ml butter cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup / 125 ml olive oil
3/4 cup / 187.5 ml jam or fruit sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
Lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
Place oats in food processor and process until the oats form a coarse flour.
Add flour, salt and brown sugar and pulse until mixed.
With the processor running, add the cubes of butter. When all the butter has been added, pour in the oil.
Process until the butter and oil are incorporated. The mixture should be crumbly.
(If you do not have a food processor, you can make the oat flour with a blender, then mix the remaining ingredients manually. Cut in the butter and oil until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can use the oatmeal as it is.)
Place a scooped tablespoon / 15 ml of the mixture into the bottom of each of the 24 muffin cups.
Pat the mixture down and press lightly up the sides a bit.
Place a generous teaspoon / 5 ml of jam in each muffin cup.
Top with another tablespoon / 15 ml of the oatmeal mixture and pat down over the jam.
Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bars are lightly browned.
Remove the pans from the oven and let cool 5 minutes to give the bars time to set a bit.
Run a thin knife or palette knife around the edge of each muffin cup, and gently lift the bars on to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before serving.
The bars can be frozen for up to 3 months.