Superfood Breakfast Bars

These superfood breakfast bars are packed with delicious, good-for-you ingredients.

By Sara Mattillion | Graduate Dietetic Intern | Northern Illinois University

They’re great for breakfast on the go or as a post-workout snack. Not a fan of bars? No worries. They bake into perfect cookies, too!

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Yield: 12-16 bars or cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 and ¼ cup old fashioned oats
• ½ cup oat flour (no need to go out and buy oat flour, just pulse ½ cup oats in a food processor until finely ground)
• ½  cup dried cranberries (or other favorite dried fruit)
• ½  cup dried mango, diced (or other favorite dried fruit)
• ⅓ cup chopped pistachios (or other favorite nut)
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large banana, mashed
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup milk of choice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly with non-stick spray, or baking sheet if making cookies.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, stir together mashed banana, butter, honey, and 2 tablespoons of milk until well combined.
4. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes. If it looks too dry, add more milk as needed.
5. Press dough firmly into the baking dish. If you’re making cookies, scoop dough out by the scant ¼ cup and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake, 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges start to look golden and dry. 
7. Cut into 12-16 bars.
8. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days (if they last that long!).