Description

These Easy Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bars are a healthy and delicious way to start your day. Made with wholesome ingredients like oats, apples, and warm cinnamon, they offer a perfect balance of fiber, natural sweetness, and spice. Ideal for a quick breakfast or a snack on the go, these bars are simple to prepare and can be customized with your favorite nuts or dried fruits.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fruits and Add-ins

1 large apple, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
½ cup chopped nuts (optional; walnuts or pecans work great)
¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agent.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey (or maple syrup), unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and well-blended.
Mix Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
Add Apples and Nuts: Fold in the diced apples, chopped nuts, and dried fruit, mixing gently to ensure even distribution throughout the batter.
Bake: Transfer the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the parchment paper to remove the bars and slice them into 9-12 squares.

Notes

To make the bars vegan, substitute eggs with flax eggs (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water per egg) and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Applesauce can be replaced with mashed bananas for a different flavor.
Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Freeze bars individually wrapped for up to 3 months for longer storage.
Feel free to add a teaspoon of ground nutmeg or ginger for extra spice depth.