Ingredients

1 2/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup oat flour (you can just pulse 1/3 cup oats in a food processor until it’s finely ground)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

2 to 3 cups (about 10 ounces) dried fruits, seeds, and nuts, roughly chopped or quickly pulsed in the food processor if in large pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup liquid sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or corn syrup (or any mixture of them)

1 tablespoon water

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with sides.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, sugar, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, and dried fruits/nuts. (Since this is about 10 ounces total, you can just set your bowl on a kitchen scale, zero it out, and add whichever dried fruits, seeds, and nuts you want until it reaches 10 ounces total.)
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the vanilla extract, melted butter, liquid sweeteners, and water.
  4. Add the liquid ingredients to the solid. Stir gently until the dry mixture is evenly coated with the wet. It will be crumbly, rather than a batter.
  5. Press the mixture evenly into the greased baking pan, using the back of a wooden spoon or clean hands if necessary.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are browned and the top is somewhere between golden and dark golden. Allow the bars to cool entirely in the pan.
  7. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares or bars. Store in a plastic zip bag or wrapped individually in plastic cling wrap. They will stay chewy at least a week.
  8. These bars freeze beautifully in a single layer in a gallon freezer bag. Just defrost and eat.