Breakfast can be a challenge. There is so much going on in the morning with trying to get everyone dressed and ready for school, work, and whatever else is going on that day. It’s no wonder we turn to convenient processed foods in the morning. But breakfast is the first opportunity you get to nourish your kids and set them up for the day, and of course you want them well-fed! This breakfast bars recipe make for an easy, healthy breakfast that doesn’t take a lot of time.
Unfortunately, the cereal and granola bars you find at the store today are ultra-processed, not very fresh, and usually made with seed oils. Many granola bars available at the store contain artificial ingredients, seed oils, and way more sugar than necessary. That’s why we choose to make these breakfast bars at home.
This breakfast bars recipe is a make-ahead breakfast staple for us, plus they make great snacks for any time during the day. Made with organic oats and coconut, pastured eggs, and grass fed milk, these bars pack healthy fats, protein, and fiber all of which help your body slowly process the sugars from mineral-rich maple syrup which makes these breakfast bars feel like a sweet treat.
And this breakfast bar recipe one of the many recipes in our breakfast meal plan and recipe book, Sunny Side Up: A 28-Day Breakfast Meal Plan for Busy Families.
Notes on Ingredients
The best part about making this breakfast bars recipe is that you can choose which ingredients you use. We always try to choose the best ingredients we can find and afford. The best ingredients will make the best final product!
We always choose organic whenever possible, but if your budget doesn’t allow that, then buy organic what you can. If you choose just one ingredient to buy organic, we recommend prioritizing organic oats because conventional oats are one of the crops most heavily sprayed with glyphosate. If you can find them, sprouted oats will take these breakfast bars to the next level. Sprouting is a bonus because sprouted oats have more available nutrients. Sprouting breaks down some of the elements in the food that are difficult for our bodies to digest and actually increases certain nutrients like vitamins.
We use organic pure maple syrup as the sweetener for this easy breakfast bar recipe because it is a less processed, more natural form of sugar. Maple syrup has minerals and vitamins that more processed types of sugars, like refined white sugar, lose during processing and refining. Maple syrup is one of our favorite types of sugar. Make sure you are getting the real stuff! Not corn syrup dressed up with “maple flavoring.”
Organic, shredded coconut is a delicious source of healthy fat. Coconuts have tons of benefits, including antiviral effects.
Unrefined sea salt contains a host of minerals. Our bodies need a range of minerals to be healthy, and unfortunately, much of our food supply has declined in mineral content because of poor tending to soils and changes in our diets. These necessary minerals are not present in table salt or iodized salt. Plus, sea salt really does taste better!
Dark chocolate generally has less sugar and fewer ingredients than milk chocolate. Plus, dark chocolate has tons of antioxidants. Antioxidants are one of the main benefits we love about chocolate.
Pasture raised eggs come from hens who have free range of a pasture. Unlike ‘free range’ hens, pasture raised hens have space to run, graze for food, and even fly. You’ll see and taste the difference with pasture raised eggs, as they have a darker, more vibrant yolk and a richer flavor. Additionally, numerous studies have found that pasture raised eggs have higher amounts of nutrients like vitamin D and Omega-3s.
Though all pasture raised eggs are nutritious and ethically sourced, they’re not necessarily organic. Chickens can still be given conventional feed, graze pesticide-treated grass, and be given antibiotics and hormones. That’s why organic pasture raised eggs are our favorite. Our favorite brand is Vital Farms. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and sometimes Aldi have their own brands of pastured eggs that are cheaper than Vital Farms, and you can sometimes get great local pastured eggs for even better prices at local Farmer’s Markets.
Whole milk is a great source of healthy fats, and raw milk has a higher nutrient profile than pasteurized milk and contains probiotics and enzymes that help digestion and gut health. If you can’t find raw milk, the next best option is organic, grass-fed, whole milk. A2 milk is also easier to digest. Grass-fed milk has a higher nutrient density than conventional milk.
This healthy breakfast bars recipe is a favorite in my family. It’s a great example of how you can quickly and easily make a healthier version of something commonly sold in the store. This alternative is filled with high quality ingredients and no seed oils, high fructose corn syrup, or natural flavors.
This simple breakfast bars recipe is easy to whip up. Get your kids to help out. It’s also very flexible. Don’t have chocolate chips or coconut? Use nuts, seeds, or raisins. Don’t have maple syrup? Substitute honey instead. Don’t do dairy? Use coconut milk!
Oatmeal Bliss Breafast Bars
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- 8×8-inch pan (any pan of similar size will work fine))
- Unbleached Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups sprouted organic oats
- ½ cup organic shredded coconut
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup or Raw Honey
- 3 pastured eggs
- ⅓ cup raw milk sub coconut milk for no dairy
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips Note: you can sub raisins or chopped nuts for the mini chocolate chips. We have a split household—half prefer chocolate chips and half prefer raisins—so we usually do a half-and-half pan!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line pan with parchment paper, letting some paper hang over the edge to help you remove the bars after baking.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: oats, shredded coconut, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Maple Syrup (or raw honey), eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix, and let set for 20 minutes. This allows the oats to absorb the flavor. It is also a good time to clean up and put away anything you are finished with or turn on the oven if you forgot!
- Fold in the chocolate chips or whatever addition you choose. Spread mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, checking at 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing. Cut into small bars and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Shopping List (Recommended Brands)
- Rolled oats
- One Degree Organic Foods Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oats Rolled
- 365 Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- Thrive Market Organic Rolled Oats (Use this link for 40% off)
- Look for organic in the bulk section
- Vanilla – get the real stuff, not “vanilla flavor”
- Maple syrup – get the real stuff!
- Choose a high quality mineral sea salt.
- Look for an aluminum-free baking powder brand.
- Choose local, pastured eggs for optimal freshness and nutrients.
- Vital Farms Pasture-Raised Eggs
- Pasture Raised Eggs from a local farmer
- Grass-Fed Whole Milk
- Local Raw Grass-Fed Milk
- Raw Farm Raw Whole Milk
- Maple Hill 100% Grassfed Organic Milk
- Alexandre Farms Organic Regenerative A2/A2 Milk
- Organic Valley Grassmilk Organic Whole Milk
This Post Has 2 Comments
We just tried the recipe and it’s FABULOUS. Just a quick note, the link to the oats were not the sprouted oats and the instructions say honey vs maple syrup. We’re also a huge fan of your book.
Kids loved it! It tasted mote like oatmeal. If I cooked it longer, would it taste more like a granola bar? I was afraid of burning them.