Raspberry Granola Bars

If you are looking for a healthy afternoon snack, I recommend these raspberry granola bars. 

They are a sure win, and if you don’t like raspberries, swap in a fruit you do like. 

Raspberry Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 C oats
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/3 C applesauce
• 5 T butter, divided {and melted}
• 1/2 C raspberry sauce (or your favorite jam/jelly)
• ~15 raspberries

Directions

Begin by mixing together 1 1/4 C whole wheat flour with 1 1/2 C oats (we used old fashioned oats).  Add in 2/3 C brown sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Stir well. 

Remove about 1/2 C of the mixture and set aside. 

With the oat mixture remaining, add in 1/4 C applesauce and use a fork to cut in.  Then, add in 3 T melted butter. 

Press the mixture into a lightly greased 7x11 baking dish.

Top with 1/2 C raspberry sauce and arrange 15 raspberries over the top. 

Then, combine the remaining 2 T melted butter with the 1/2 C oat mixture and mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the raspberries. 

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes until slightly browned and set. 

Slice the bars down the middle of the pan lengthwise, and slice each into rows approximately 1 inch thick. 

Serve immediately, or allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temp or a week in the refrigerator. 

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

So last week, I shared with you delicious apple oatmeal bites.  And, until I made these, those were my favorite.  Then, I made some pumpkin oatmeal cookie dough, added chocolate chips and called it an afternoon snack. 

They count as a snack because they are wholesome, and they aren’t baked.  They are only a cookie if they are baked, right?! 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites – Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients

• 1 C quick cook oats
• 1/2 C oat flour*
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 C brown sugar
• 1/8 C honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 C sweet potato puree
• 1/8 C dark chocolate chips

Directions

Begin by making the oat flour – to do so, take roughly 1/2 C oats and grind them in a food processor or blender until a flour forms.  Combine the oat flour with 1 C quick cooking oats in a large bowl.  Add in a pinch of salt, 1/8 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice. 

Mix in 1/8 C chocolate chips (more or less to taste). 

In a second bowl, combine 1/8 C brown sugar, 1/8 C honey, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/3 C sweet potato puree. 

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones until moist.  Then, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes. 

Shape into balls and place into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Makes about 12 1 T bite-sized cookie dough bites. 

Enjoy!

Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.  Makes about 1 dozen. 

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No-Bake Apple Cinnamon Energy Bites

What’s not to love about granola, applesauce, apple bites, and cinnamon in a no-bake granola bite? 

These are perfect for an after schools snack, and are easy enough for even your kids to help make. 

No-Bake Apple Cinnamon Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 1 C quick cook oats
• 1/2 C oat flour*
• pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1/8 C brown sugar
• 1/8 C honey
• 1/8 C apple maple sauté

Directions

Take roughly 1/2 C of oats and pulse it in a blender or food processor until a smooth powder forms; measure out 1/2 C of oat flour and combine this oat flour* with 1 C quick cooking oats.

Add in a pinch of salt, 1/8 tsp. baking soda, and 3/4 tsp. cinnamon along with a pinch of nutmeg.  Stir well. 

Mix in 1/4 C unsweetened applesauce, 1/8 C brown sugar and 1/8 C honey. Add in 1/8 C cooled apple maple sauté.  Mix until all ingredients are moist. 

Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

Then, using a cookie scoop, create 1 T balls of the granola apple mixture.  You’ll get about 12-14 energy bites in total. 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Enjoy!

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Apple Butter Muffins

One of our good friends from Bible study gave us some delicious apple butter.  I couldn’t think of a better way to use it than to make muffins to serve to our Bible study!

They were fragrant, delicious and extremely flavorful. 

If you don’t have apple butter, you can still make them with applesauce and some additional spices.  But, I highly recommend them with apple butter.  Yum. 

Hello fall. 

Apple Butter Muffins – Recipe adapted from Money Saving Mom

Ingredients

• 1 C white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 C Old Fashioned oats
• 1/2 {heaping} C apple butter (or applesauce*)
• 1 C milk
• 2 eggs

Directions

Whisk together 1 C white whole wheat flour, 1/4 C brown sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 1/4 tsp. of salt. 

Then, stir together 1 C oats with 2 eggs, 1 C milk and a heaping 1/2 C apple butter.  *If you use applesauce, add in 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.  Stir well. 

Pour the flour ingredients into the oat mixture and stir until just moist. 

Scoop, using a cookie scoop, batter into 12 lightly greased or lined muffin tins. 

You’ll want to fill them nearly full (over 3/4 of the way).  If desired, sprinkle the top with coarse ground sugar. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-23 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing.  Then, cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with additional apple butter if desired. 

Enjoy!

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Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread

Around here, our favorite bread is this whole wheat buttermilk bread.  It’s soft, delicious and it has caused us to stop making all other kinds of bread.  But, the only thing that is missing from the bread (in my opinion) is oats. 

When I came across a delicious-looking buttermilk bread made with oats, I decided to break from our tradition and give it a try.  It’s a large batch of dough, makes two loaves (8-inch pans) and it was a winner in my mind. 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread – Adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
• 1 C water, boiling
• 1/4 C water, room temperature
• 1 1/2 C buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 T honey (just slightly overflowing)
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 C bread flour
• 3 C whole wheat (or white whole wheat) flour
• Additional oats and warm honey for garnish

Directions

Combine 1 C boiling water with 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats and stir well.  Let the oats soak for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer, add 1/4 C room temperature water, 2 heaping T honey, 2 tsp. of yeast, 3 T olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. salt.  Add in the oats, 1 1/2 C buttermilk and 2 C of bread flour along with 3 C whole wheat (either red or white will work) flour. 

Using your stand mixer, knead the dough for 10 minutes.  You may need to add in some additional flour (I added about 1/8 C) during the kneading process if the dough is sticky.

Place the dough in a large lightly greased bowl to rise, covered, until doubled.  This took my dough about 1 hour. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a lightly floured surface.  Punch down and knead the dough 6-7 times.  Then, divide it into two. 

Shape each half of the dough into a rectangle, with the length of the dough matching the length of your bread/loaf pan. 

Roll the dough up lengthwise and tuck the ends under the loaf.  Pat and shape and set into a lightly greased (and/or parchment papered) 8-inch loaf pan.  Repeat for the other loaf. 

Mix together 1 tsp. honey and a 1/2 tsp. of hot water and brush the top of the loaves with the honey mixture.  Sprinkle 1/8 C of old fashioned oats over the top of each loaf, if desired. 

Cover and allow the dough to rise until it just pops up over the top of the pan.  Then, preheat your oven to 375.  When preheated, place the bread loaves on the bottom rack, and bake for 50-60 minutes.  You’ll know the bread is done when they sound hallow when gently tapped or the internal temperature has reached 200 degrees F.

Remove the bread from the pan and place onto a cooling rack; cool completely. 

I recommend freezing any extra bread so that it stays just as delicious as it is right now.  Here’s our kitchen tip on keeping bread fresh.

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Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is perfect for a back to school morning.  Make it the night before and either bake it then, or bake it in the morning.  Double the batch and you can freeze leftovers as a easy grab-and-go breakfast during the week. 

Loaded with wholesome oats and flavorful bananas and blueberries, you are sure to enjoy this version of one of our favorite breakfasts!

Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 1/2 C applesauce, unsweetened
• 1/2 C brown sugar (no need to pack this one)
• 1 egg
• 3 C oats (quick or old fashioned, or a mix)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 C milk (add 1/4 C milk if you make the night before)
• Splash of vanilla
• 1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1-2 medium bananas

Directions

In a large bowl combine 1/2 C applesauce, 1/2 C brown sugar and 1 egg.  Stir well.  Add in 3 C oats, 2 tsp. baking powder, a pinch of salt, a dash of cinnamon and 1 C milk.  If you are making this the night before and not baking it immediately, add an additional 1/4 C milk.  Stir in a splash of vanilla. 

Carefully stir in the blueberries.  Then, slice up your banana(s) into thin slices. 

Lightly grease a 9x9 glass baking dish and arrange 1/3 of the banana slices on the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the oat mixture over the top.  Then arrange 1/3 of the slices of banana over the top of the oats.  Top with remaining oat mixture.  Arrange bananas over the top. 

If you are baking immediately, place the baked oatmeal in an over heated to 350 degrees F and bake for 35-40 minutes until the center is set.  If you are not baking right away, cover and refrigerate overnight until you are ready to bake.  Place the pan in a cold oven and then turn the temperature on to bake and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until warmed throughout and the center is set. 

Serve warm, sliced or in a bowl with milk. 

Enjoy!  

This would also make a great after school snack cake!

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