Maple Cinnamon Oat Bars (Printable version)

Wholesome oat bars with cinnamon and maple syrup, perfect for a nutritious breakfast or snack.

# What you need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 cup whole wheat flour
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil for dairy-free)
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins

11 - 1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans, optional)
12 - 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

# Steps to follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until evenly blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, melted butter (or coconut oil), applesauce, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
05 - Gently fold in chopped nuts and dried fruit if using.
06 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment paper overhang. Cut into 12 equal bars.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • They taste like a cozy morning but hold together in your hand or lunchbox without crumbling.
  • You can mix the whole thing in two bowls and have them in the oven before your coffee gets cold.
  • The maple and cinnamon create this gentle sweetness that doesn't spike your energy and then drop you an hour later.
  • They're forgiving, so if you swap the butter for oil or toss in whatever dried fruit you have, they still turn out great.
02 -
  • If you pull them out too early they'll be gooey in the middle and won't hold their shape once you cut them.
  • Cooling them completely is not optional, warm bars will crumble the second you try to slice them.
  • Using parchment with overhang saves you from prying bars out with a spatula and losing half the batch to broken pieces.
03 -
  • Use a really light hand when mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, just until you don't see flour anymore.
  • If your bars turn out dry, you probably overbaked them or packed the flour too tightly when measuring, so spoon it in next time.
  • Lining the pan with parchment instead of just greasing it makes cutting and cleanup so much easier you'll wonder why you ever did it another way.
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