Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

These healthy raspberry oatmeal bars are vegan, gluten-free and filled with raspberry chia jam! The oatmeal crumble makes them crunchy on top and soft inside. You can prepare a batch of these bars in only 20 minutes and have your breakfast ready to go for the entire week. Vegan breakfast bars like these are perfect on the go.

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Why you'll love this recipe

It's so easy to skip breakfast in the morning. By making it ahead of time, you save time and make sure you have a healthy option to grab and go if you're in a hurry.

• You can meal prep these healthy raspberry oatmeal bars and save time during the week.
• Oatmeal bars are a healthy breakfast option. These bars are sweetened with apple sauce and a little maple syrup and high in fiber for a nutritious breakfast.
• These bars are vegan (dairy-free and egg-free) and gluten-free.

Zoom on the ingredients

Gluten-free oats make the crust of the raspberry crumble bars. They are high in fiber (beta-glucan) to keep you satisfied until lunch. You can use (old-fashioned) rolled oats or steel-cut oats as they will be blended with the almonds.

Note on gluten-free oats: if you're sensitive/intolerant to gluten or celiac, make sure to use gluten-free certified oats. Oats can be contaminated with other cereals during crops and processing if processed in the same factories as gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, etc.).

Almonds give the crumble a slightly nutty taste and improve its texture.

Unsweetened apple sauce acts as a binder and adds moisture to the crumble. As the recipe also calls for maple syrup, it is best to choose unsweetened apple sauce.

Maple syrup will sweeten the vegan oatmeal bars and allow slight caramelization that makes the crumble top extra crunchy.

Coconut oil is necessary to create the perfect crumble texture and prevent sit from being brittle.

A pinch of salt is added to enhance the taste of the other ingredients and create a perfect balance between them.

Elo's tips

1. Use a small cake pan or baking dish. We recommend using a 7x7 inches (18x18 cm) square baking pan or a baking dish that has a similar size. You could also use an 8x8 square pan but the bars will be thinner.
2. If eating the raspberry oatmeal bars on the go, put them in an air-tight container (such a a lunch box) or simply wrap them in wax paper (or plastic wrap). Note that it can get slightly messy, which is why we recommend packing a napkin as well.

Step-by-step

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 7x7 inches square baking pan with parchment paper.

Make the raspberry chia jam: add the fresh or frozen raspberries to a saucepan with a splash of water. Cook the raspberries for 10 minutes. They should start to break down. Transfer them to a bowl and add in the chia seeds. Let it sit while you make the crumble.

Grind the oats and the almonds: Add the gluten-free oats and the almonds to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until finely ground.

Make the crust and crumble topping: Add in the apple sauce, coconut oil and maple syrup. Pulse several times until everything looks combined and you obtain a crumbly texture. Alternatively, you can transfer the ground oat and almonds to a bowl and mix them with other ingredients with a spatula or your hands.

Bake the crust: Press two-thirds of the dough into the square pan. The crust should be about 0.7 inches (2 cm) thick. Prick it with a fork and bake it for 8 minutes (or until the edges turn golden).

Top with raspberry chia jam and the crumble topping: Take the square pan out of the oven and spread the raspberry jam onto the crust into an even layer. Take the rest of the dough and crumble it with your hands on top of the jam. Bake for 15 to 20 more minutes or until the crumble looks slightly golden and crispy.

Let cool and cut into squares or bars. Store the bars into an airtight container or wrap them individually.

Variations

Other berries: you can use any type of berries you want to make the chia jam. Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries work great.

Use fresh or frozen fruit to make the chia jam: simply heat the frozen fruits over medium heat. Simmer for 10 more minutes until thawed, then add the chia seeds.

Use jam: if you're in a hurry, you can skip making your own chia jam and use store-bought raspberry jam. Note that this will increase the sugar content of the breakfast bars and will make them more sticky (which is less practical if eating the bars on the go).

Make a vegan and gluten-free raspberry crumble: you can use the same crumble dough to make a crumble instead of bars. Add the raspberries to a baking dish (optionally with a peeled and cut apple). Crumble the dough on top of the fruits and bake for 20-25 minutes at 180°C.

The recipe