— Flannery O’Connor
Hi there,
Since our recent health scare, I have been thinking about how to take the title of this blog “New Classic Recipe” seriously and to take some classic recipes and try to reduce the fats and sugars.
Dom likes a little something sweet after dinner but finding a cookie that is low in saturated fat is a very difficult proposition. Since I know that oats are a cholesterol scrubbing brush, I decided to start with the idea of a healthy fat oatmeal cookie. I combined the idea of peanut butter and oats to make a cookie. When I was finished combining all the ingredients, the cookie was a crumble so to speak. So to save the day, I put the dough on a small sheet pan and made cookie bars instead. They turned out pretty good. Give them a try.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup of rolled oats
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup of golden raisins
- 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoon of light brown sugar
- 1 cup of chunky peanut butter
Preparation
- In a medium bowl, toss the oats, spices, and baking soda together. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the peanut butter and brown sugar until combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and slowly mix until combined. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips.
- Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper. Gently press the dough onto the sheet.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow the sheet pan cookie to cool for 10 minutes and then cut into bars.
I hope the Cookie Monsters in your house enjoy their “a smidge healthier treat”.
35 responses to “OATMEAL BARS – when applesauce just won’t cut it.”
Looks like a good recipe. I’d have to substitute sunbutter for peanut butter because we have a family member with severe peanut allergies. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Judy. It did fill his sweet tooth.
They would be great as breakfast on the go or an afternoon pick me up 🙂
An excellent suggestion my friend.
These look very good. I might use dried cranberries instead of raisins. My hubby likes a little something sweet after dinner too. So I always look for a healthy alternative.
Dried fruit of any kind would be delicious. I am partial to cranberries or dried blueberries.
These look really scrumptious Bernie! The spices, the chocolate, the raisins, the oats, all look like they are having a ball!
A party in your mouth! Thanks Dot.
Tasty looking bars! Using peanut butter instead of butter is a great idea. I’ll give it a try soon.
Another good option is cookies made with olive oil. (If interested, use the search button in my blog for a recipe)
I will definitely be using that search button. Sweet tooths need to be satisfied and fruit doesn’t always cut it.
They look delicious. I must try this recipe!
So happy you like it. Let me know if you make it and maybe how you personalized it.
Will do!
[…] OATMEAL BARS – when applesauce just won’t cut it. […]
Bern, I love this recipe! Since I’m not a baker by any stretch of the imagination, I love the simplicity of it, and I’m sure the oatmeal bars were delish! Thanks for sharing your healthy treat recipe!..
Hello my friend. I am so happy to see you here again. When I get back I will whip up a bunch for you. They are good for breakfast or lunch on the run.
Sounds great Bernadette!
Thanks so much Jenna. A tasty way to get your oats.
Those look yummy, Bernadette, and full of ingredients that I try not to eat. Lol. My grandson will love them though.
Dianna, hope your grandson enjoys them. My grandkids liked them lots and so did hubby.
I am sure these bars/cookies are the best!
I gotta tell ya, they were surprising good.
They look yummy! I love that you’ve added cinnamon and nutmeg! I think they make everything tastier 😉😋
Thanks Ribana. The whole bar is a tasty and healthy combo.
Mouth watering.😋Thank you for sharing the recipe.🤙
You are most welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
This is a nice recipe, Bernadette. I haven’t been baking much because everyone except mom and I are on diets in my house.
Thanks Robbie. Hopefully everyone will shed those unwanted pounds and you can resume your excellent baking.
I still bake for special events and am busy creating the fondant art for my hubby’s 50th birthday cake.
That was a great idea Bernadette! They look really good!
Thanks Diane. Even the grandkids like them which really shocked me. I’d like to take the recipe a step forward and try to make granola bars out it.
Hi, Bernadette – I too am always looking for healthier versions of favourite recipes. This one looks great. Thank you for sharing it!
Hi Donna, with Dom’s recent cardiac problems, I am trying to be more findful or fat and salt. Have a great week.
Smart adjustment to keep your cookies from falling apart! I just saw something from Cooks Illustrated (I think) that suggested using pureed dried fruit, such as apricots, in cookie bars as a way to make them sticky and cohesive. I haven’t tried it but this is the kind of thing I like to explore, so I’ll check it out one of these days. In the meantime, your method is working great and you can’t go wrong with peanut butter!
Hi Terrie, let me know if you perfect the method. I wonder what they used as the liquid for the puree. Probably fruit juice or jame or jelly?