Healthy Breakfast Bars

Ligia Lugo

Ligia Lugo

Published:

October 10, 2023

Last Modified:

October 10, 2023

These healthy breakfast bars serve as an excellent source of vegan protein. With the natural sweetness of dates and cranberries and loaded with various nuts and seeds, their blend of textures and flavors makes them an excellent option.

You can control the texture and taste when you make your breakfast bars at home. I have tried a few from the grocery store and have never fallen in love with one.

Sometimes they are too hard, and sometimes they are too sweet. Expensive too!

Whether you pull up a chair or are running out the door, this vegan protein bar recipe makes easy snacks that are easy, delicious, and a pleasure to eat.

Can healthy breakfast bars be made nut-free

Yes, for sure! Any of your favorite seeds would substitute for the walnuts.

As a suggestion, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) would be a flavorful crunch.

Baker’s tips

I mentioned above to make cuts into the batter before baking. The neatest and easiest way to do this is with a dough scraper.

Now if you don’t have one of these, don’t worry.

You can use a knife, but I often like to use a dough scraper for cutting and separating dough. It’s quick and neat.

Another neat trick is laying parchment paper in the pan before pressing the mixture.

Make sure the parchment paper hangs over two of the opposite edges. This makes it super easy to remove from the pan after baking.

Ingredients

Date breakfast bars ingredients labels
  • Whole wheat pastry flour adds fiber and nutrients to the main base of these breakfast bars.
  • Rolled oats give extra protein and a chewy texture.
  • Coconut oil adds to the baking; you can use any oil you prefer.
  • Dates are a wonderful sweetener, and they add a nice texture too.
  • Dried cranberries give a sweet tart addition to the flavors.
  • Dried apple is another texture that makes everything taste even healthier.
  • Walnuts add protein and that mild crunch factor.
  • Shelled sunflower seeds are full of protein.
  • Water adds the needed liquid for this vegan protein bar recipe to bake.
Date breakfast bars ready 4

Instructions

  • Lightly grease an 8″ x 8″ square pan.
  • Mix the flour, oats, salt, and oil in a medium bowl.
  • Add dates, cranberries, and dried apples.
  • Add the water, walnuts, and sunflower seeds and mix well.
  • Press into an 8″ x 8″ pan to fill out all the corners and make a connection with all the ingredients.
  • Important:
  • Score into squares before baking. By this, I mean for you to press down with something like a metal pastry board scraper to make deep marks so they are easy to cut apart after baking.
  • Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

IF FREEZING:

After they have cooled, you may freeze them in any of the methods shown in my article Preparing Food for the Freezer

They defrost quickly, so it doesn’t take any planning. The microwave will also zap them in 20 seconds or let them defrost at room temperature.

Date breakfast bars ready 13

Date breakfast bars ready 7

Healthy Breakfast Bars

Ligia Lugo
4.3900 from 47 votes
Healthy Breakfast Bars are fruity and nutty.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 16 Bars

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil – liquid form
  • 1/2 cups dates – chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries – lightly chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried apple – chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts – chopped
  • 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup water

Instructions
 

  • Lightly oil an 8"x8" pan.
    Lightly oil a pan
  • Mix flour, oats, salt and oil in a medium bowl.
    Mix flour oats salt and oil in a medium bowl
  • Add dates, cranberries and dried apples.
    Add dates cranberries and dried apples
  • Add the water, walnuts, sunflower seeds and mix well.
    Add the water walnuts sunflower seeds and mix well
  • Press into an 8" x 8" to fill out all the corners and make a connection with all the ingredients.
  • Important: Cut into squares before baking. By this I mean for you to press down with something like a metal pastry board scraper to make deep marks so that they are easy to cut apart after baking.
    Cut into squares before baking
  • Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.
    Date breakfast bars ready serve 1

Video

Nutrition

Serving:1Bar, Calories:150kcal, Carbohydrates:17g, Protein:3g, Fat:8g, Saturated Fat:3g, Sodium:75mg, Potassium:124mg, Fiber:2g, Sugar:6g, Vitamin C:0.1mg, Calcium:14mg, Iron:0.9mg

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Ligia Lugo

Ligia Lugo

Hi, my name is Ligia Lugo. I am the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Vegan in the Freezer. The recipes feature healthy and delicious food that you can enjoy now or freeze for future meals.

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