These healthier apple oatmeal bars are full of apple flavor. They are just 3 ingredients and don't contain any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil.
356g (about 3.25 cups)chopped peeled apples (about 1 inch cubes) + 70g (2/3 cup) finely chopped peeled apples (1/4 inch cubes), see note regarding substituting the 356 grams of apples with store bought applesauce
2tbsp (1 fl oz/30ml)honey, or more as needed to taste
2cups (175g)quick oats
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
Add the 356 grams of large cubed apples into a pot filled with water. Bring to a simmer on the stove and cook the apples until they are fork tender. Drain and remove the cooked apples from the water and place into a blender.
Blend the apples for a few seconds until they reach an applesauce consistency. Your applesauce shoud be thick, grainy-like consistency but without visible chunks of apples. If you still have apple chunks, you won't have enough liquid for your oat mixture. You should have 1.5 cups of applesauce.
Transfer the applesauce to a large mixing bowl. Add in the honey and whisk until evenly combined. Add in the quick oats and mix until the oats are fully incorporated. Your mixture should be thick. Taste, and if needed, you can add a little more honey. If adding any cinnamon or spices, mix them in now. Stir in the finely chopped apple cubes until they are evenly mixed in.
Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the bars are lightly golden on the surface and cooked through. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Applesauce substitution note: To save time, you can use store bought unsweetened applesauce instead of cooking apples and blending them. You will need 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce for the recipe.
Make sure your finely cubed apples are no bigger than 1/4 inch thick. If they are too big, they will cause the bars to fall apart when you cut them.
If you like Fall spices you can add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or 3/4 teaspoon apple pie spice to the mixture before baking.
You can add more honey to taste. You can also use maple syrup instead of honey.
If you have a kitchen scale, I recommend using it for weighing the apples as it is hard to get an accurate measurement for apples using cups.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.