I’ve been searching for a good tasting, healthy, snacky, oat bar. Something that I can make a batch on Sunday, individually wrap (even stick in my freezer) and grab and go. Ideally, I’d like it to have a little bit of crunch and something that will stick to the ol’ ribs, not just fill me with carbs. And not be packed with white sugar, but still satisfies the sweet flavor. So, I did some preliminary searching on the inter-webs and found a few recipes. The first one of the “oat-bar search series” I’m sharing with you was from a website that I come across every now and then, Kath Eat’s. She’s a nutrition consultant like myself and has a huge resource of good recipes.
These bars are packed with flavor. For the dried fruit, I used dried blueberries, coconut, and golden raisins and they were fantastic together. They are all hugged by a cinnamon finish, leaving a pleasant aroma on your palate and nose. There is no added sugar in these either, which I liked. All the “sweet” comes from the dried fruit and it definitely works. In fact, the bit of salt that is added to the batter initially hits the tongue on first bite, very subtlety. But what it does is sets you up for the lovely and languid bursts of sweet you get from the fruits, and even the coconut (the coconut is not “sweetened” per se, but is considered part of the sweet-flavor family). My one complaint is the texture. They are made with egg, which makes them a bit chewy, spongy even. Texturally, I am looking for something that is a little bit crisp on the outside, and has a delicious pull to its chew. Sometimes I like things breaking off in my mouth with a satisfying crunch, but for the oat bars, my mind is craving crunch with some satisfying chew. If you have any favorite oat bar recipes, please I’d love to hear about them!
Cheers!
Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars, recipe from Kath Eat’s
Ingredients
1.5 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 3/4 cup dried fruit (Kath used 1/4 cup cranberry trail mix, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chopped dried “just banana” from TJ’s; I used 1/2 cup dried blueberries, 1/4 cup golden raisins, and 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds)) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp kosher salt 1.25 cups milk (regular, soy, almond, rice…) 1 egg or egg substitute 1 tsp vanilla
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350* 2. Mix dry ingredients. 3. Mix wet ingredients. 4. Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine. 5. Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment. 6. Bake for 40 minutes. 7. Cut into 9 squares.
Makes 9 servings . Each bar is appx. 165 calories, 3 grams fiber and 5 grams protein.
You can double the recipe and use a 9×13 baking dish. While delicious, the only sweetness in these comes from the dried fruit. Add in 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar if you like.
The variations are endless: cranberries, coconut, all kinds of dried fruit, nuts, etc.
What’s that, you say? Black Bean brownies? Yes, you didn’t read that wrong. These little dense chocolate squares of goodness are packed with dark chocolate flavor that melts in your mouth. They are flourless, heightening the chocolate-effect to a whole new level. So if you are gluten intolerant, this is a fantastic option for you.
I admit, I was curious. How would these turn out? Would they be…good? Or would they be just another new-fangled, health-crazed, recipe trying to turn a classic into something “healthy”? I had to find out. Reading through the recipe, I couldn’t tell how they would taste (namely because I had never purred beans into a baked good) but I was pleasantly surprised.
The only thing that caught me off guard was the cup and a half of agave nectar it called for. I mean, that stuff is sweet. For every tablespoon of honey, you only need about a teaspoon of agave–it’s intense. The thought of that much agave made my mouth pucker a bit. There is also a lot of controversy about agave nectar being a good sugar substitute. Unlike sugar, it has a very low glycemic index. Diabetics can use it because it doesn’t interfere with their insulin levels–meaning it doesn’t make their blood sugar go wonky when they eat it. However, the reason it doesn’t interfere with our insulin levels is because agave is processed in the body, through the liver, as fructose. Fructose does not get converted into blood glucose (or energy in the form of sugars from foods we eat including: whole grains, fruits, and even regular ol’ sugar–the most concentrated form), but rather it gets stored in our body as fat. Hmm.
Also, in order to get agave to it’s edible sweet form that we all know and can buy in bottles in the store, it goes through quite the process of refinement. This means that all of the natural enzymes that would normally help the body digest these high levels of fructose are gone, thus leaving our liver to do a big job of sorting through and processing everything. What do I think about agave? Moderation, moderation, moderation. I prefer over all raw, natural honey or maple syrup–they are my absolute favorites. I used to use a lot more agave (in my tea, on toast, etc…) but I don’t do that any more. The studies that I have read make me hesitant to eat too much of it–as it is constantly associated with being as bad, if not worse, for you as the dreaded High Fructose Corn Syrup. And in reality, they are both made quite similarly.
And knowing all this, I still made these brownies. I love the quest, the challenge, the different ingredients! And call it what you will, but it was so interesting to see how they would turn out in both flavor and especially texture. I am smitten with the flourless-ness that the black beans provided–they were as rich, moist, and dense as a flourless chocolate cake. This made my mind swirl with other ideas about using purred legumes in things! They also turned out to be a bit too sweet for my taste. If I ever end up making them again, I am going to play around with a combination of other sweeteners like molasses, maple syrup, honey, and brown rice syrup. (The recipe said to use a 1:1 ratio for honey as a substitute if you don’t have agave–if you try this, let me know how they turn out!) Make no mistake, these are not “healthy” for you! But they are fun to make, delicious to eat and share with friends. Did I mention they will satisfy major chocolate cravings? Yes, in a big way.
Cheers!
Black Bean Brownies, recipe adapted from 101 cookbooks
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1 cup unsalted butter 2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained and rinsed well (about 1 can) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I found adding this gave them a richer, deeper texture and flavor) ¼ teaspoon sea salt 4 large eggs 1½ cups raw, dark agave nectar (dark agave I feel heightens the chocolate flavor vs. the light agave which literally just adds “sweet” to what you use it in).
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. (I ended up not doing this and it was absolutely fine). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.
