Health conscious people are always searching for ways to eliminate processed sugars and flour and increase their intake of whole grains with fewer additives and preservatives. Honey and oat bar recipes provide a way to achieve this.
Significance
People have combined honey and oats for centuries. These ingredients have the benefit of being all-natural while still being tasty. By adding nuts, seeds and additional fiber, you can create a healthy snack that will provide energy without a lot of empty calories.
Types
There are a wide variety of honey oat bar recipes. Some are hard with a crunchy, granola-like taste. Others are chewy with fruit and various softer grains. Still others are cake-like mixtures, similar to bar cookies.
Sample Recipe
1 cup softened butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1 cup raisins or chopped nuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter, honey and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add flour, rolled oats and salt; mix well. Stir in raisins or nuts. Press into an ungreased 9-by-13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cut into 36 bars.
Additions
Personalize these bars by substituting other "stir-in" ingredients. Try sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, raisins or coconut, but do not change the quantities of the other wet and dry ingredients. To increase the health benefits of these bars, use whole wheat flour and raw sugars whenever possible.
Warning
Since there are no preservatives in these bars, it is best to reserve what you will eat in the first 2 days and then freeze the rest in small batches to be thawed out as needed.
Tags: these bars, butter honey, butter honey vanilla, chopped nuts, honey vanilla, rolled oats