Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oat Bars

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An easy recipe for a healthy breakfast or snack: strawberry bars with dark chocolate, made with rolled oats and sweetened with bananas. Without sugar, white flour, or butter, everyone has a much healthier substitute in this recipe: rolled oats instead of flour, coconut milk instead of butter, and fruit as a sweetener.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love strawberries? I sure do! Whenever strawberries are in season, I always try to find a way to include them in my diet and also create delicious recipes. If you don’t have the time to cook them all, you can always freeze a few batches and enjoy them later, no matter the season.

I’ve asked myself what I could prepare to eat as a pre-workout snack, and I immediately realized I could combine some fresh strawberries with oats and dark chocolate. The result? Some fantastic and nutritious bars, which have a heavenly taste. As for the macronutrients, they contain healthy carbohydrates, which will give you the needed boost of energy and plenty of fibers. Eat the bars before your workout, and you will feel like you will be able to move the mountains (I am not kidding)! But, don’t forget, the balance is the key, so don’t eat more than one bar, because even though they are healthy, they are also calorie-dense.

When you feel deprived of energy or something sweet, these snacks bring you extra protein and energy. I know it sounds like a TV commercial, but believe me, they are also healthy and can successfully replace unhealthy snacks between meals.

I admit that, not infrequently, I feel like something sweet when I sit for a long time and work at the computer. So I make sure to have delicious and healthy snacks on hand, such as these super delightful protein bars.

This recipe is so easy to make at home that there is no point in buying bars from the store. Especially since this way, you have total control over the ingredients, and you know everything they contain.

They consist of a “base” of cereals, pseudo-cereals, dried fruits, and a “binder” that can be peanut butter or coconut oil. Let’s not forget the sweet element of honey, maple syrup, or a little dark chocolate. The formula is ready, it remains to see the proportions, and as you can imagine, the combinations can be endless.

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Oat Bars

Necessary equipment:

  • a medium baking dish
  • a large mixing bowl
  • 2 medium mixing bowls
  • a whisk
  • a rubber spatula

Ingredients:

16 servings

  • 1 1/2 cup of rolled oats
  • 1 1/4 cup of oat flour
  • 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of organic maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of fresh strawberries, chopped
  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1/4 cup almonds, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons of corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon of orange juice
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a baking dish greased with coconut cooking spray.
  2. Combine the rolled oats, oat flour, chia seeds, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
  4. Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold them in carefully. Mix only until combined.
  5. Combine the chopped strawberries, sliced banana, crushed almonds, orange juice and corn starch in a medium bowl. Stir well to combine.
  6. Pour half of the oat batter into the prepared baking dish into an even layer.
  7. Add the strawberries and banana mixture over.
  8. Sprinkle the chopped dark chocolate pieces on top.
  9. Top with the remaining half of the oat batter and smooth it down using a rubber spatula.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly golden.
  11. Take out of the oven and allow them to cool down for about 10 minutes.
  12. Slice into square or bar-shaped pieces.
  13. You can store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Another option is to freeze the bars and warm them up in the microwave when needed.

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