Let’s talk about breakfast. While I don’t doubt it’s the most important meal of the day, especially for those kiddos heading off to school, it’s sometimes the most challenging to get together. Right now, our kids are too young for school and thankfully it’s not too difficult to ensure the boys are starting the day with something healthy. As the years fly by though, I’ll be looking at busy mornings before school before I know it.
Right now, I typically start the day with a smoothie. Kevin and I both wake up around 5 a.m. to work out, and I whip up smoothies for both of us before he heads to work and the kids wake up to start their days around 7 a.m. And while I love smoothies, sometimes after coming in from a run in the below freezing temperatures, I’m looking for something quick to grab for myself and the kids. Shout out to these cinnamon date breakfast bars.
And I LOVE finding new ways to incorporate dates. These date, oat, and coconut bars are another favorite recipe of ours. Dates add a delicious natural sweetness, they’re good for you, and they provide a sticky consistency that is perfect for bars. One of my favorite snacks is a date stuffed with peanut butter and sprinkled with sea salt. It’s delicious, satisfying, and the perfect mix of sweet and salty.
Dates are clearly now a staple in my pantry, and for good reason. The other ingredients in these breakfast bars are also pantry staples, which means I can whip up these delicious bars whenever I want. For quick, healthy breakfasts, or snacks on the go, I have a feeling that I’ll be making these a lot.
- 2 cups pitted dates
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup water
- 1¾ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp. oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse dates and cinnamon. Gradually drizzle water in from the top while food processor is on. Be careful not to add the water too fast or it will splash up and potentially leak out the top of your food processor.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, oil, honey, salt, and baking soda.
- Press about ⅔ of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, ensuring you press down firmly with your hands.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Spread date mixture on top of oats. The date mixture is sticky and the pan is hot, so you can certainly let the pan cool down slightly if needed.
- Spread the remaining oat mixture on top, pressing gently with fingers.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool in baking dish before removing and slicing. Enjoy!
Looks yumny. Definitely will try this recipe. You mentioned cocoanut in your writing but I didnt see it in recipe?