These quinoa breakfast bars are chewy, lightly sweet, and nutty. Enjoy them at breakfast or on the go. They're a wholesome alternative to commerical granola bars.
- 2 cups cooked quinoa cooled
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup pecans chopped
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep a 9x13 inch baking pan with a light coating of spray oil.
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In a medium bowl, add the quinoa, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir to evenly combine. Break up any large chunks of quinoa, which can stick together.
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Add the peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs, and combine well. Fold in half of the chocolate chunks and pecans. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread out evenly with spatula. Sprinkle the remaining pecans and chocolate chunks on top.
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Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until golden brown on edges, and set in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before cutting into 24 squares.
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Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Best if eaten in 4-5 days.
Modifications you can make to adapt to the ingredients you have on hand, any dietary restrictions, or your particular tastes. It's totally flexible. Have some fun with it!
- Quinoa - this seed-posing-as-grain cooks up quickly on the stovetop. You can either cook it up as needed for this recipe, or double up the amount whenever you're making quinoa as a side dish, and set aside the extra to use here. Check out Epicurious's article on How to cook quinoa perfectly every time.
- Oats - use whatever oats you have on hand - quick oats old-fashioned, or steel cut. All work, with only slight changes in texture (steel cut oats add a little crunch, which is fun!). Choose gluten free oats if you require it.
- Applesauce - substitute with mashed banana or mashed canned pears, or even pumpkin! The moisture the fruit adds is important, but you can use what you have on hand.
- Brown sugar - equal amounts of honey or maple syrup worked just as well.
- Peanut butter - any nut butter can be used in place of peanut butter.
Other flavor combination and add-ins you can try:
- Semi sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries
- White chocolate and pistachios
- Dark chocolate and walnuts
- White chocolate and dried cranberries
- Macademia and white chocolate
- Raisins, sunflower seeds, and milk chocolate
- Almonds, coconut, and dark chocolate
- Anything at all and chocolate