Come 3pm my kids are ready for an after school snack.
Our usual snacks of choice are fruit, carrot sticks, yogurt, and cheese; however, I also like to surprise them with sweet treats that are both tasty and wholesome.
When I do bake them sweet treats it’s usually chewy granola bars or these super yummy oatmeal jam bars.
Not only do they taste fantastic but they come together quickly. Which is so important to me since I need my afternoon to clean up and start thinking about supper.
Naturally sweetened with raw honey and pure maple syrup, they take about five minutes to prep and 25 minutes to bake.
As a jam filling, I used wild blackberry preserves that I canned earlier this year. However, any flavor of jam will make these taste faboosh!
These bars are sweet, soft, and scrumptious. They come together quickly which makes them a perfect after school snack.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat berries (whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (feel free to substitute butter)
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup jam or preserve of choice
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Butter an 8" square baking or cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the coconut oil (preferably melted), honey, and maple syrup.
- Transfer about 2/3 of the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Pack the mixture down firmly.
- With a spoon, spread the jam or preserves over the dough.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 mixture over the preserves.
- Finish with a sprinkle of oats to cover any bare areas.
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
These bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says
These look absolutely fantastic! I will have to make a batch next week… Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out says
These look amazing!
As an aside…I studied in Spain when I was in college (Madrid) and couldn’t love it more. It’s the only place that has ever truly felt like home in my heart. And the food? I die. Always glad when I find others who feel the same way. =)
Lori says
I cannot wait to try these! I love oat bars, but the recipe I have uses a lot of brown sugar. I’m looking forward to substituting these other sweeteners.
Ally's Sweet & Savory Eats says
Yum! I think I need to make these and maybe add some dark chocolate too???
Rachael @ Gratefully Nourished says
We made these last week, very easy and surprisingly sweet!
Thanks for another great post.
Diana Bauman says
Thanks for the feedback Rachael!
Danielle says
Can you substitute in some almond flour/meal for the whole wheat flour? If so, how much would you suggest? Thanks 🙂 looking forward to making these tomorrow.
Diana Bauman says
Danielle, I think it would be okay to substitute almond flour. Let me know your results 😀
Amy D. says
Honey AND maple syrup? Does it make it taste different than just using one or the other?
COrina says
These sounds great, the jam or preserves could potentially add a lot of sugar. Is there any other way to substitute this? Dried Fruit? etc
erica says
Diana, I have made this recipe of your countless times. It’s perfection. One of my kids requested it for his school birthday dessert over cupcakes! I’ve never tried to freeze them before (they never last long enough around here). Do you think they would freeze ok? Thanks a ton.
Diana Bauman says
I’m glad to hear that, Erica! You know, I’ve never frozen them before but I don’t see why not. If you give it a try, let us know how they defrost. Thanks!
erica says
I’ll give it a go and report back.
Thanks!
Don says
Jam has loads of sugar so how is this recipe sugar free
Diana Bauman says
Don, my jam is naturally sweetened with honey.
Audrey Bean says
Well, mine didn’t come out well at all by substituting agave for the honey and maple syrup. The texture is really unpleasant and they are only faintly sweet.
Diana Bauman says
I don’t advise using agave syrup. I would stick to proven natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup.