Soft Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

With chocolate chunks in every bite, Love and Zest’s soft-baked oatmeal chewy bars are irresistible! Using wholesome ingredients like almond butter, pecans and coconut flakes, these bad boys are healthy enough for breakfast or a snack any time of the day. Satisfy your sweet tooth with these energizing homemade bars instead of chomping on packaged foods, which are often lacking in nutrients and laden with excess sugars.

Soft Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

Ingredients

• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ¾ cup almond butter
• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup old fashioned oats, ground (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup dried tart cherries
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8-inch square pan with small amount of coconut oil or cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix together coconut oil, almond butter, flaxseed, banana, and honey.

Stir in baking powder, salt, oats and ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.

Top with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips, pecans, tart cherries and shredded coconut.

Bake for 25 minutes, and allow to cool for 45 minutes before slicing into 16 bars.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 16 |  Serving Size: 1 bar

Per serving: Calories: 191; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 68mg; Carbohydrate: 17g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 9g; Protein: 4g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 62mg; Iron: 15%; Vitamin A: 0%; Vitamin C: 1%; Calcium: 5% 

Kristina LaRue, RD, CSSD, LDN is a sports dietitian in Orlando, FL and co-author of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies. She writes the food and nutrition blog, Love & Zest, where she shares recipes, life, and nutrition. Connect with her outside of the blog on Pinterest,  Twitter and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Kristina LaRue. Original recipe published on Love & Zest.

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