Fruity, cakey, low GI vanilla oat bars (recipe)

Here’s a very quick recipe for oat bars (flapjacks, if you’re in the UK) that is crispy on the outside and cakey in the middle – yum.

As they’re packed with oats and fruit, these oat bars are great for an energy boost. The recipe also uses a fruit sugar syrup made from natural fruit sugars that contains 25% fewer calories and a low GI – so these bars should release energy slowly, without the highs and lows you get with sugary snacks.

I used soya margarine as I’m aiming for a dairy-free diet, but you could use butter if you wanted to.

Here’s what to do to make these delicious oat bars.

Ingredients

• 100g (3.5 oz) margarine (plus a little extra for greasing the tin)
• 100g (3.5 oz) fruit sugar syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g (3.5 oz) mixed fruit
• 215g (7.6 oz) Scottish porridge oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted, 400F)
2. In a saucepan, melt the margarine, vanilla, spice and syrup over a low heat until completely dissolved
3. Stir in the fruit and heat for a further minute, then stir in the oats
4. Transfer the mixture to a small greased loaf tin and press down gently
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool
6. When almost cooled, tip out and cut into six bars with a sharp knife

Enjoy!

I made these with a view to taking them to work as healthy snacks, but they’re so tasty we ate them straight away. Stored in an airtight container, they should last a few days (assuming you have more willpower than us).

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5 from 1 vote

Fruity, cakey, low GI vanilla oat bars

Here’s a very quick oat bar recipe (flapjacks, if you’re in the UK) that is crispy on the outside and cakey in the middle – yum.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: cakes and bakes

Cuisine: English

Keyword: flapjacks, oat bars

Servings: 6 bars

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Emily Leary

Ingredients

• 100 g (3.5 oz) margarine plus a little extra for greasing the tin
• 100 g (3.5 oz) fruit sugar syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 100 g (3.5 oz) mixed fruit
• 215 g (7.6 oz) Scottish porridge oats

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan-assisted, 400F).
• In a saucepan, melt the margarine, vanilla, spice and syrup over a low heat until completely dissolved.
• Stir in the fruit and heat for a further minute, then stir in the oats.
• Transfer the mixture to a greased small loaf tin and press down gently.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then leave to cool.
• When almost cooled, tip out and cut into six bars with a sharp knife.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.

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