Are your kids good at breakfast? My girls are not. I mean, they eat breakfast every single day, but a bowl of cereal has not touched their lips since the Farex days. They won’t do toast either. They won’t do anything that doesn’t involve intense preparation: Scrambled eggs and ham; buckwheat pancakes and fruit; bacon and cheese rolls; smoothies… well, the smoothies they make themselves, but still.
I don’t mind getting them a decent breakfast. The fact that they won’t eat cereal means at least that’s one less processed food being downed. But on the mornings that I just don’t have the time or the energy, I either defrost a healthy muffin or one of these breakfast bars.
Note that this one is not for those on a nut-free regime.
Breakfast bars
1 ½ cup rolled oats
1 cup almonds or ¾ cup ground almonds
1 tbs ground flaxseed (optional – add an extra few almonds if omitting)
1 tbs ground maca (optional – add an extra few almonds if omitting)
½ cup sunflower seeds
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup peanut butter
1 cup pitted dates
¼ cup boiling water
1 egg
Line a tin with baking paper and preheat oven to 170°C.
Toast the oats in a heavy-based frypan until golden then put them into a large mixing bowl.
Process the whole almonds in a food processor until finely chopped then add to the mixing bowl OR add your ground almonds to the mixing bowl. Combine oats and almonds then add the flaxseed, maca, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cinamon and nutmeg.
Heat the maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan on medium heat until fully melted. Add the mix to the dry ingredients then put the saucepan back on the heat and immediately add the dates and pour over the boiling water.
Boil the dates for a minute or two, then pour into the food processor and whizz until pureed. Add the puree to the mixing bowl and stir through. Once the mix is cool, crack in your egg and thoroughly combine all ingredients.
Press the mixture into your baking tin, pressing down firmly with a large metal spoon. At this stage you can sprinkle the top with extra sunflower seeds if you like (but my kids don’t like it).
Bake for 20 minutes until golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Cut into bars and then cool completely on a wire rack.
The bars will keep for a few days in an airtight container on the kitchen bench or wrap in baking paper and freeze. Serve with a glass of milk and some cut up fruit for quick, easy mornings.
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Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid says
These look delicious and full of goodness. I might have to make some of these for the fussy hubster AKA he who will not eat cereal!
Maxabella says
Hopefully he’ll like these ones, Sammie. Or there are loads of other varieties to try around the webs! x
Tash @ Gift Grapevine says
Getting my tornadoes to eat breakfast is a struggle every morning. Thanks Bron – I’ll be giving these a go (anything with peanut butter is usually a winner with my two!)
Maxabella says
I do miss being able to use peanut butter in the lunch boxes, Tash. x
Kat @ beanieandtalbot says
Yum, these look great! Do they stay together well? This is the sort of thing I like to have on hand for hubby’s lunches 🙂
Maxabella says
Once cooled, they do stay together just fine, Kat.x
Vicki @ Boiled Eggs & Soldiers says
These look delish I have fussy breakfast girls too although one will eat toast the other often has fruit and yoghurt when we are in a rush (most days!). I’ve got a breakfast bar to post too but I’m definitely going to be giving these a try. Love peanut butter! Thanks so much for linking to you YWF too. x
Kim @ Land of Zonkt says
Stuff the kids, I’ll eat one of these!
and that’s sayin’ something as I don’t eat breakfast… unless you could coffee as breakfast.
It makes me sick, I have to wait till like 9.30 and onwards before I can stomach anything. My kids eat weetbix most days and toast ONLY if I have nutella. Hmm.
My son would like this option, my daughter though miss fussy pants wants eggs every morning. But I can’t do it all the time, so it’s dry weetbix… but she’s happy.
will have to whip these up though hun,
xx
Maxabella says
I’m the same – I eat breakfast about 9 am most days. Then I’m good for a later lunch around 1.30 / 2 pm. Eating anything earlier in the morning just makes me feel funny. x
jayne says
These look amazing! I am planning a little walking trip with friends soon and these would be the perfect snack! Also great for 2nd breakfast I think!
Maxabella says
Yes, we hobbits appreciate that!
Seana Smith says
Hey, these look and sound marvellous. A terrific breakfast for any age… I do love lots of dates and also love getting nuts into my kids. We’ve had a great deal of processed food creep round here…. so glad it’s Easter and school hols soon as it’s a good time to reset, and to bake.
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry says
We love breakfast in this house, so any recipe with ‘breakfast’ in the title immediately grabs my attention. These bars look very delicious! I’m loving the additon of maca powder in there – something I haven’t eaten in quite a while, come to think of it. I love its unique, slightly malty flavour!
Eva @ The Multitasking Woman says
These look delicious! My fussy eater probably wouldn’t touch them and would stick to his smoothies but I sure would devour them myself!
Jacinta says
Thanks for posting this recipe. It looks fantastic and I am definitely trying these tomorrow. Just a quick one – any ideas I could use to substitute peanut butter?? My kids don’t always like the taste of it
Maxabella says
I would simply omit it and I think the recipe would still work well. If the mix is a bit dry, try adding a couple of extra dates. x