Cranberry Dark Chocolate Chip Oatbars Recipe
1.13.2020
Oats are packed with: protein (26g in a cup!), minerals, and beta-glucan (a heart-healthy soluble dietary fiber that boosts your immune system.)
However, making oats every morning for Q was a waste of time and natural gas (oh how I dream of induction), so I started testing out various oatbar batches. (There’s a great one with a whole hidden zucchini in it, but we’ll need to wait until next year for that one to come back into rotation.)
This version is a tried-and-true favorite and is requested daily. It takes about 20 minutes (tops) to get everything mixed together, 25 minutes in the oven, makes enough to cover a whole week of Cappello munching, and is just 30 seconds of microwaving when pulled out of fridge storage. :-)
Q eats some version of an oatbar for breakfast most mornings and they are a nutritious punch of protein (over 12g in a 1 cup slice), flavonoids (between the cranberry and super dark chocolate, you’re getting an anti-inflammatory mouth celebration), and that cranberry-and-chocolate pairing is giving you iron and the Vitamin C to absorb it.
What the heck is a chia egg and why do that instead of eggs?
A “chia egg” = 1 tbl chia + 2.5 tbl water. Chia seeds are incredibly healthy and a great egg-substitute in baked goods.
Plant-based diets are better for the environment, eggs have an environmental footprint, and unless you’re sure of their conditions and the farmer caring for them (like our kind-hearted CSA and their happy hens): mass-produced eggs have an empathy wallop to boot.
Additionally, I come from a family of heart disease (have a grandparent that died of a heart attack, a parent who’s had 2, and my kinfolk are on coronary medications) so I limit animal inflammation and aim for the healthiest alternatives I can.
With chia seeds, you’re getting a bounty of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, minerals (like iron and calcium!), and dietary fiber.