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:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly with non-stick spray, or baking sheet if making cookies.
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together mashed banana, butter, honey, and 2 tablespoons of milk until well combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake, 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges start to look golden and dry.
- Cut into 12-16 bars.
- Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days (if they last that long!).