I posted a picture on Instagram many, many weeks ago–an innocent looking stack of oaty bars, and an approximate recipe to go along with it. But since then they have stolen my vanilla-loving heart. I’ve made at least 20 batches! It’s a true oaty obsession.
I make a batch. I eat them in large quantities. They disappear. I want more. I make more. You can see how it happens.
I’m terrible at following recipes, even my own, so the recipe has changed a bit since then. After 20+ batches I have perfected them. So consider this the most tried and true recipe ever. And if your taste buds are anything like mine, these just might be a new favorite.
They are soft and chewy and moist and healthy and so snackable! And my favorite way to eat them is straight from the fridge, nice and chilly.
You know what I love about simple recipes? They are easy to customize without messing up the chemistry. If you’re making something like homemade marshmallows, you don’t mess with that recipe. Trust me! Been there, done that, cleaned that sticky mess. But this recipe is simple, so you can make customizations…
If you don’t want to add the Bee Free Honee, I understand. The dates are plenty sweet, I just like the flavor the Honee adds.
If you want to add spices, then I can tell you from experience that the results will be tasty.
If you don’t want to add the cereal, then replace it with an equal amount of oats. It’s just for texture really. I’ve made this recipe with oat flakes, rice flakes, rice crispies (not my favorite), and corn flakes, but feel free to experiment with anything!
If you want to leave out the dates, then you’ve gone to far. Don’t mess with the dates.
Vanilla Date Breakfast Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup of your favorite flake cereal (I used Erewhon Corn Flakes)
- 12–14 pitted medjool dates
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1/4 cup Bee Free Honee (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Blend the dates, water, honee, and vanilla bean powder on high.
- Crush the cereal with your hands.
- Combine the oats and cereal in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the date paste over the oats/cereal and mix. Make sure all the oats/cereal are coated. It will be more gooey than your average granola bar mixture.
- Spread out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350F.
- Cool. Cut into bars.
- Store in the fridge. They last up to a week.
And if you find yourself addicted to these bars, don’t blame me.
These look and sound awesome, I didn’t even make it past 2 mins of seeing the recipe to come see what’s in them {and I’m usually a VERY slow follow-upper on things!}. Love that they’re oil-free and so customizable. And I think raisins are definitely a good idea 🙂
Oh yeah, raisins + some cinnamon would be awesome! I’ve been eating them for breakfast almost every morning with an apple or two and they have been perfect <3
You say oats and I’m in!! I agree I find it refreshing that you made these without oil or peanut butter! I really really wish to be your recipe tester!! where do I apply!pretty please!
Haha! Nope no oil or PB just my good buddy medjool!! I’m sure it will be no problem to ship everything I make overseas so you can sample 😉
I love the name of these bars! These look perfect for a grab and go breakfast or morning snack and I can’t wait to try them. But first, to find a flake cereal that isn’t loaded with sugar….
Thank you Nicola! That’s exactly what I love them for, breakfast and snacks! Not sure what’s available around you, but Erewhon and One Degree Organics are some of my favorite healthy brands. One Degree Organics cereals are all sweetened with coconut sugar and super tasty! Love them <3 If you can't find a good cereal, than just go with the oats only version 😀
I’m always in need of healthy snacks for the kiddos and these bars look absolutely perfect! Can’t wait to try them!
I never realize how kid-friendly recipes are until you point it out, but these would be a perfect kid snack!
Aren’t those recipes the worst and best at the same time? Everytime you finish it you just want more and more. These sound sooo good. I’ll definitely have to try them 🙂
★★★★★
Thank you Vanessa! I tend to go through phases where there is just one recipe that I just can’t get enough of 🙂
A great staple for snacking. Thanks.
Definitely!!
So excited to make these for my kids. I do not have Vanilla Bean Powder, can you substitute just regular Vanilla (liquid)? Thank you.
Oh yay! Yep you can definitely use the extract liquid, maybe use a little more than 1 tsp though since it’s not as strong. I hope they like them!
Great! Thank you. We have switched our family over to plant based and I am need of breakfast ideas for the kiddos. Can’t wait to give them ago.
Hi again! Just wondering if you would ever include nutritional info with your recipes? It would really help to know how many calories i’m eating since i’m trying to gain some weight.Also looking forward to making these bars.They look super tasty!
Hi Renae! I personally, intentionally choose not to count calories/macros and not to include those stats with my recipes, but if you google “recipe calorie calculator” there are 3-4 good programs to plug in the ingredients and the number of servings and figure that out really easily. Like this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator Good luck with your goal and I hope you enjoy these 🙂
Hi Natalie,
Me again. Just wondered if you have any crunchier granola cereal bar type of recipe? I’m trying to find a healthier lower sugar & just generally better alternative to store bought bars for my teenage nieces! The current ones they have are slightly chewy & crunchy in texture.
Hope you can help!
Thank you!
So unfortunately it’s actually the combination of sugar and oil that creates that CRUNCH in granola bars, so most of the healthier homemade versions are going to be chewier. Sorry!
Aw 🙁 I never knew that. They don’t have to be super crunchy but just not soft like a cake bake bar like a ‘raisin bake’ (we have them here in the UK sold by Kelloggs, not sure if you have it there?)
The bars they like at the moment are these kelloggs special K coconut cacao & cashew protein bars.
They’re slightly crunchy & chewy.
Here is the ingredient list: Cereals(24%)(Oats, Wholewheat, Barley, Wholewheat Flour, Rice Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Malted Wheat Flour), Nuts(16%)(Cashew, Peanuts, Hazelnuts), Glucose Syrup, Dates(7%), Fructose, Almond Butter(5%), Sunflower Seeds(5%), Dried Coconut(4.5%), Soy Protein Isolate, Sweetened Condensed Skimmed Milk (Skimmed Milk, Sugar), Humectant(Glycerol), Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder(1.5%), Vegetable Oils(Sunflower, Rapeseed), Tapioca Starch, Salt, Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavouring, Emulsifier(Soy Lecithin).
Im not sure how to recreate a healthier version similar to this sort of bar.
Any ideas?
Thanks so much again Natalie 🙂
Hmm is the texture similar to a rice crispy treat kinda? These vanilla ones are very soft and almost baked-oatmeal like, but maybe the texture of these would be more what you are looking for: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/toasted-coconut-snack-bars/
Yes that’s exactly the sort of texture they have. Thank you so much once again! I’ll try the other recipe out soon 😀
You mentioned how sugar & oil is what makes the ‘crunchy’ texture in some baked goods. Is this the same with healthy cookies (we call them biscuits here)? Mine always turn out soft rather than a ready made crunchy cookie biscuit texture. I really crave that crunchy digestive biscuit texture 🙁
Dont think you have them there? Lol i know they sound strange ! They have nothing to do with digestion haha
Yep, same thing! It’s the melting/dissolving of the sugar and then recrystallization as the cookies cool that causes them to be crunchy. And with the oil/fat, that doesn’t really create crispiness so much but the healthy subs (applesauce, pumpkin, etc) all contain a lot of water which will make any cookie more moist/soft. We don’t really have biscuits like you do, the closest we have is shortbread I think. These are my 2 best crispy cookie recipes if you want to give them a try…
Shortbread: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/almond-shortbread-cookies/
Chocolate Chip: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/crispy-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try them 🙂 i’m hoping to try atleast one of them @ the weekend.
I’m not vegan so tend to just use normal eggs, if I use them instead of the flax eggs in the choc chip cookie recipe would that be ok? OR would it get rid of the desired crunch & cause them to puff up more?
I haven’t tested that one with real eggs so I can’t say for sure, but it shouldn’t ruin the crunch. I’d suggest using just one though since it will add more moisture than the flax eggs and I don’t want the batter to be too liquidy. Hope they turn out perfect!