I did the unthinkable yesterday and ventured solo to Ikea with my two lovely little cherubs.
By some miracle they both behaved (very uncharacteristically) like angels.
So I took advantage of their great moods and shopped, shopped and shopped whilst Harry giggled at Grace as she pushed him in the trolley through the maze of furniture and homewares.
We did stop halfway though for a lovely snack and my little shoppers were so happy to munch on these raspberry oat bars I’d packed into our lunch box.
These bars are delicious and couldn’t be simpler to prepare. Just pop the ingredients into a food processor and blitz. Once the batter is nestled in the tin gently press a few raspberries into the bars and bake for 20-25 minutes or until gorgeously golden.
This recipe makes 16 bars that will vanish all too quickly. They really are delicious. And did I mention this recipe contains no eggs and no sugar! These bars are instead sweetened by a couple of ripe bananas and a handful of mejool dates. The vanilla extract and ground cinnamon also provide the bars with a good hit of gorgeous flavour.
The texture of these bars is soft and squishy yet firm which makes them wonderful for baby led weaning beginners as they will withstand their tight grip.
My little ones also enjoy these bars for breakfast. I serve them alongside a little fresh fruit and they are gobbled up in no time.
To create your own batch of raspberry oat bars simply…
Begin by preheating your oven to 180 degrees celsius (350 F). Line a square baking tin (20cm x 20cm) with baking paper and set aside.
Place the milk, bananas, dates and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Add the oats, coconut, wholemeal flour, baking powder and cinnamon and pulse to combine.
Place the batter into the prepared tin and use a spatula to smooth the top and press the batter into the corners.
Sprinkle the raspberries over the bars and gently press them ever so slightly into the batter.
Pop into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and set.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tin before placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut into 16 bars.
Serve alongside a little fresh fruit for a lovely little morning or afternoon tea. Enjoy x
raspberry oat bars
makes 16 bars
not suitable to freeze, but I promise they will disappear long before the need to freeze
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup milk
6 mejool dates, pitted
2 medium bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shredded (or decicated) unsweetened coconut
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (350 F) and line a 20cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper. Place the milk, dates, bananas and vanilla extract into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, coconut, oats and cinnamon and pulse to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the raspberries over the top and gently press them into the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so in the tin before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares. Enjoy x
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Hi – can I replace the dates with raisins? And can I omit the coconut?
Thanks! Love all your recipes. So simple and delicious!
Hi Kayla, can you please explain the difference between Mejool and other dates? Are they interchangeable? This recipe sounds delicious! Anna 🙂
Would the coconut be missed if left out?
Hi there, this looks fabulous. We aren’t huge fans of coconut. Do you think I could omit it without making adjustments to the other ingredients? Thanks, Rowena
This recipe sounds wonderful!! Could I substitute the raspberries for chunks of peaches…?
Absolutely. Yum!
Just made these this morning. Took all of 5 minutes and had a yummy breakfast for the kiddos. Used frozen mixed berries and turned out perfect!
I just made a batch of these today and they are sooooooo goooooddd!! Thanks for sharing your recipes, I love trying them out!!
Tried this recipe this morning, was very difficult to squash out into the tray as was so sticky! Tastes lovely to me but my little boy seems more interested in squishing it lol. Any chance you could start posting with cups/grams directions?
Made it and it is yumiiiiii. Medjool are sweet large type of dates, often the one that is the most available. If using other dates, I would recommend using more (8-10).
Brilliant recipe. Easy for babies to hold and eat. I’ve tried this recipe using strawberries, blueberries and mango – all turned out successful. Thanks for the recipe!
What type of oats do you use or where can I get them?
hi there, made these yesterday and they’re yummy but just wondering what’s the best way to store them? I have them in a ziplock bag in the fridge, should I leave them out of fridge though?! Thanks!
Hello, I plan on making these, two queries, okay to use frozen blackberries and also how to store them? closed bag, silver foil? in or out of the fridge?
We make this every fortnight! Such a a great sugar free recipe the whole family, baby included can enjoy. Everyone who sees it asks for the recipe too. Thank you!
Wonderful. I am so happy you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Happy baking xxx
Hi there!
I just wanted to say thank you sooooo much for all your recipes! I love making my little girl healthy creative food and your recipes are just so simple to follow with no fuss!
You have such a range to choose from which I love also!
Jess 🙂
Thank you so much!!! X
How long do they stay nice/fresh? Do the berries last up well after baking?
Omg I love this recipe! So easy and fast. seriously I make this most weeks. Have replaced the flour with almond meal for my wheat free friends and it is even better! Thanks so much! Even our sugar loving friends love this
YAY! Oh thank you Jen! So delighted to know you enjoyed the raspberry oat bars! And thanks for the almond meal suggestion – I’ll try next time! YUM! Kayla xx