Cottage season is officially here! Not having my own cottage, I am often on the hunt for easy-to-travel recipes to bring up as a guest. I typically offer to take care of breakfast (it seems like the meal that's the hardest to screw up!). So when I found this recipe, a take on my favourite Starbucks treat--Oat Bars--I knew it would be in my cottage snack repertoire. It took less than 15 minutes TOTAL, required zero baking, and can be made and cut ahead of time. Bring up a French Press and some fresh ground coffee beans, and you have yourself an impressive mid-morning snack.
Bonus - Wrap some bars in wax paper, tie with twine, and bring up as a hostess gift!
Ingredients (original recipe can be found here)
- 1 cups large flake oatmeal
- 2 cup quick cook oatmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 1/4 cup water (optional - use for tender bar, use less or none at all for stiffer bar)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. I only had large flake oats, so I pulsed 2 cups in a food processor for 30 seconds before mixing with the remaining cup of large oat flakes.
- In a large non-stick pan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, add the honey, syrup, vanilla, water, and brown sugar. Mix and allow to bubble gently.
- Add dry ingredients to pan and mix thoroughly. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.
- Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Compress the mixture evenly using the back of a flat metal spatula.
- Using a knife, score the top of the oat mixture into bar shapes to make cutting easier.
- After the bars have cooled slightly, cut the bars through while still in the pan.
- Allow to cool thoroughly and enjoy!
