I made up this recipe in honor of my vegan cousin, Brandi. She is an amazing artist/photographer, and it’s been awesome for me to admire her work, so I thought I’d give something back to her! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandimd/)
This is a great breakfast, pre-workout, post-workout, on-the-trail-and-I’m extremely-hungry, healthy kiddo snack, etc. You really can’t go wrong! It is really high in fiber, which is great if you are trying to get your body to rid itself of toxins. 🙂
I made these in bar and mini muffin form. I prefer the muffins, especially if you plan on giving them to the kids!
INGREDIENTS:
Wet:
1/2 c. milk (almond, soy, goat’s, cow’s, etc.)
1/2 c. apple sauce
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry:
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 c. whole grain Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp. baking soda
2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I like a lot.)
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling:
~1 c. peanut butter (I used creamy and natural in order to ensure it was vegan, but you can use whatever you’d like)
Extras:
1 small apple, chopped
1/8 c. seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.)
1/3 c. chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, sliced almonds, etc.)
1/3 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc.)
DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 8″x8″ glass pan or a muffin tin (I used mini, but you can also use a regular-sized muffin tin).
2) Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
3) Add wet ingredients and mix.
4) Add extras and mix. You can use more or less of any of the “extras” — make it your own!
5) Put a layer of your mix on the bottom of your pan or muffin tin cups. The layer should cover the bottom and be about 1/4″ thick.
6) Put a dollop of Dais… I mean, peanut butter in the center of each muffin cup or several around the 8″x8″ pan.
7) Cover the peanut butter with another layer of your mix. I used my hands for this, especially when making the bars in the pan. I took a clump of mix, squished it to about 1/4″ between my hands, and plopped it on top of the peanut butter. Ensure that all of the peanut butter is covered by the oatmeal mix.
8) Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes (if in a glass pan), 15 minutes (if in a regular-sized muffin tin), or 10 minutes (if in a mini muffin tin). Times will vary based on altitude and oven. I’m in Colorado and am using a new oven.
9) Remove from oven and let cool before cutting. If you use a muffin tin, you will only have to wait a few minutes before you are able to pop them out.
10) You can enjoy them warm, room temperature, or cold. Refrigerate or freeze if you aren’t enjoying them on day 1. Consume or freeze within a week.
Enjoy!
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