Quick and Easy No Bake Berry Breakfast Bars

Better Choice Breakfast: Filling Berry Breakfast Bars

I have opinions about the snack choices the world offers to our children.

While what I offer our children is not perfect (nor do I believe it has to be to make healthy choices), I do strive to offer unprocessed foods as often as possible.

So when, out of the blue, my daughter asked if I could make a better choice breakfast bar for her to eat instead of the pop tart¹ offered at school, my response was an easy, “Yes!”

Beyond a morning snack at school, we may have one of these breakfast bars in the morning with full fat plain greek yogurt or 4% cottage cheese. We have also been known to reach for one as a bedtime snack.

They are good any time of day!

Filling Berry Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted/ liquified)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup oat flour (I usually grind some up in the moment using our immersion blender)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berried (we usually have Aldi’s frozen Cherry Berry Blend on hand)
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3-4 tbsp chia seeds or more (measure with your heart)

Why Chia Seeds?

Aside from being a great for you and your kids by improving digestive health, promoting brain and heart health, building strong teeth and bones, and supporting the immune system, chia seeds are just downright practical.

Berries can be messy, especially with kids. While I accept that, I can also reduce mess by adding chia seeds to the berries. Chia seeds absorb water, therefore thickening the berry mixture.

Method

1. Grease or line a loaf tin (I use parchment paper)
2. Over medium heat, add the berries, water, and lemon juice to a pan.
   • 1 cup berries
   • 1 tbsp water
   • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
3. Bring the berries, water, and lemon juice to a boil on medium high and then turn down heat and allow the berries to simmer for 8-10 minutes. While simmering, stir the berries every few minutes and mash the berries.
4. Remove berries from heat, stir in the chia seeds, and set them aside.
   • 3-4 tsbp chia seeds (or more)
   • For a smoother berry filling, blend the berries and chia seeds together using an immersion blender.
5. In a bowl mix all the remaining ingredients together (use those muscles!)
6. The mixture should hold together. If too dry add a bit more peanut butter. If too wet, add a bit more oat flour.
7. Pour the oat mixture (reserving about a 1/4 of the mixture) into a parchment lined loaf tin and use a spoon to press it together.
8. Pour the chia/berry mixture over the pressed oat mixture and spread evenly across the bars. Crumble on the remaining oat mixture on top and gently press
9. Pop the loaf pan in the refrigerator until set.
10. Cut into bars and store in the fridge in an air tight containter.

Eat up!

We ate the first batch of bars in 24 hours, so from now on, I double the recipe and use our 8×11 inch glass pan to let them set (pictured in first photo).

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1. This is not a replacement for poptarts. These bars taste nothing like poptarts and do not have frosting. This is simply a delicious and filling breakfast bar our child accepts as an alternative option. She will also choose the poptart sometimes. ↩︎