Spice up breakfast with my Apple Oat Bars, made with whole grain oats, cozy spices and applesauce for a lower sugar option.
I love a hearty breakfast bar. If you've tried my peanut butter banana bars or blueberry crumble bars, then you know.
These apple oat bars are full of warming spices, fresh apples, and wholesome ingredients. It tastes like coffee cake, with sweet pockets of apple in every bite. I love pairing these bars with Greek yogurt for a balanced fall breakfast. They're also gluten-free, high in fibre, and have some sneaky protein. What more could you want?!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Flourless and gluten-free. These apple oat bars are made with oats instead of flour, meaning they are gluten-free. Just ensure you use certified gluten-free oats if you have Celiac disease.
- High fibre. Both apples and oats are a great source of soluble fibre, which is so important for digestion, gut health and keeps you fuller for longer.
- Made with pantry staples. You probably have most of these ingredients already in your fridge and pantry.
Ingredients
Oats. We use oats as the main base ingredient. To create a true cake-like consistency (and not just baked oats), we blend some of the oats into a fine-powder similar to flour (you may also use pre-blended oat flour).
Apple pie spice. For ease i like to use a pre-mixed apple pie spice blend, however you can also make your own by combining cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice and ginger.
Applesauce. This is an oil-free recipe, but applesauce helps keep the moisture and adds an apple flavour. Ensure you applesauce is unsweetened to minimize added sugars.
Maple syrup. Maple pairs beautifully with apples and cinnamon for warming fall flavours.
Eggs. To provide stability and structure, this recipe uses 2 whole eggs.
Greek yogurt. This provides additional protein and creates a smooth batter. I typically use plain 2% Greek Yogurt in baking, however 0 or % fat will also work.
Collagen powder. For added protein! I find collagen creates a much more moist baked good compared to protein powder. I know not everyone has this available, so I have also provided some substitutions in the recipe card below.
Apple. Any variety of apple will work, however I typically try to stick to a baking variety such as cortland, braeburn or honeycrisp.
Peanut butter caramel sauce. This is optional, but such a delicious edition. You can make your own using my recipe.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9x9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, Greek yogurt, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Add oats to a high powered blender and blend until a powder forms (similar to a flour-like consistency).
- To the same bowl, stir in oat flour, whole oats, baking soda, baking powder, collagen, apple pie spice and salt. Fold in diced apples, leaving about ¼ cup to use as topping.
- Evenly spread the cake batter into the baking pan. Top with remaining apples. Bake for 24-28 minutes.
- While the cake is in the oven, make the peanut butter caramel sauce, following this recipe (you will want to halve the recipe, or save the remaining caramel for later).
- Once the cake is baked and cooled, drizzle with caramel and slice into 12 equal sized bars.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: this recipe is naturally gluten-free, but ensure you use certified gluten-free oats. Bob’s Red Mill also has a certified gluten-free pre-blended oat flour!
To make dairy-free: replace Greek yogurt with a thick dairy-free yogurt.
To make nut-free: skip the peanut butter caramel or use a traditional caramel that doesn't have nuts.
Collagen can be replaced with an additional ¼ cup of oats, ground flax seed or unflavoured protein powder (please note protein powders may result in a drier consistency).
You can switch up the recipe by adding chopped walnuts, swirling in the caramel pre-bake, or swapping the apples for pears.
Equipment
Storage
These apple oat bars will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the bars for up to 3 months.
Top Tips for Success
For best results, use a high powered blender to blend the oats.
To make this recipe even easier, you can add all the ingredients (except the apples and whole oats) to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Once smooth, stir in the apples and whole oats and pour directly into the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, make muffins by diving the batter between a 12-cavity muffin pan and baking for about 18-22 minutes.
Yes you can! A 10×2 inch round pan will hold the same amount of batter and the cook time will remain the same.
I recommend pairing these apple oat bars with greek yogurt or eggs for additional protein. Fresh fruit also make an amazing side for some added fiber and colour.
More Breakfast Recipes
If you loved this recipe, try these next:
- Air Fryer Apple Pie Breakfast Cookie
- 30 Minute Apple Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Air Fryer Apple Crisp
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these apple oat bars, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Apple Oat Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups oats blended into a fine powder
- ½ cup whole oats
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup collagen powder
- 2 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large apple diced (about 1.5 cups), divided
- ½ batch peanut butter caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9x9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, Greek yogurt, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Add oats to a high powered blender and blend until a powder forms (similar to a flour-like consistency).
- To the same bowl, stir in oat flour, whole oats, baking soda, baking powder, collagen, apple pie spice and salt. Fold in diced apples, leaving about ¼ cup to use as topping.
- Evenly spread the cake batter into the baking pan. Top with remaining apples. Bake for 24-28 minutes.
- While the cake is in the oven, make the peanut butter caramel sauce, following this recipe (you will want to halve the recipe- or save the remaining caramel for later)!
- Once the cake is baked and cooled, drizzle with caramel and slice into 12 equal sized bars.
Sarah says
A meal prep staple for me!
Alyssa says
Made this on repeat! Such a great meal prep breakfast and tastes like dessert 🤤