Healthy Cranberry-Almond Breakfast Bars

I’m not great at early mornings. I’m usually dragging my feet on anything I have to do before 8 a.m. It’s not exactly the best way to be when you have a child to get ready for school drop off! So I’m down for anything that can make this process more efficient! I’ve been trying to come up with some healthy, make-ahead breakfasts or morning snacks that I feel good about giving my kid, (probably in the car,) before school. They need to be nutritious and filling to keep her going until lunch, and of course, taste delicious! These cranberry and almond breakfast bars tick both of those boxes, plus they are super easy to make and use stuff I already have at home!

Here’s what you need:

The first thing I love about this recipe is that I literally did not have to make any special shopping trips for even a single ingredient. These are all pantry/fridge staples for me. I also love that they are not overly sweet. We buy snack bars all the time and I often feel that some are bordering on treat more than they are snack. If you cut this recipe into eight bars, it only comes to a half tablespoon of maple syrup per bar.

For the best crunch, chop the almonds and cranberries.

The most important trait of any self-respecting snack bar is a variety of textures! I prefer rough chopping the whole almonds by hand, rather than going for sliced or slivered almonds. It requires a bit more effort, but the crunch is far superior. While you’re at it, chop the cranberries as well to evenly disperse them throughout the bars.

Those go into a bowl with the rest of the oats, oat bran, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and zest.

Give them a stir. Be mindful of the orange zest. It loves to clump together, so be sure to break it up well before pouring in the wet ingredients.

Next put the banana, egg, milk, maple syrup and vanilla into a food processor. Use as ripe of a banana as you can find. This will help it purée easily. And it’s sweeter. Use what ever type of milk you prefer. I’ve used both dairy and coconut milk and they both turned out delicious.

Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and mix it up!

Take an 9 x 9 inch pan and spray it with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a square of parchment.

Finally, pour in the batter and use a rubber spatula or clean hands to gently press it out evenly to the edges and corners of the pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-33 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Remove the entire square from the pan and place it on a cutting board to cut. In my opinion, cutting it into 6ths gives you the most perfect-sized bars, but you could take it a step further and do 9 slightly smaller bars.

Store in an airtight container or wrap individually for a quick and healthy snack or breakfast you can feel good about!

Other recipes to try:

• Crunchy Apple Pie Granola
• Easy Honey Cinnamon Muffins
• Banana Bread Baked Oats
• Blueberry, Lemon and Almond Baked Oats
• Coconut and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
• Cinnamon Apple Baked Oats