Butternut Oatmeal Spice Trail Bars Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1/2 c butter
1 c turbinado or brown sugar
1/4 c molasses
3 eggs
1 c whole milk ricotta, OR plain lowfat greek yogurt
2 c mashed cooked butternut squash or canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/4 c chia seeds
1 1/2 c old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c white flour
1 c oat flour*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom (opt.)
1/4 tsp allspice (opt.)
1 c shredded coconut (fresh, frozen, or dried)
2 c dried fruit (dried sweetened cranberries, raisins, chopped Medjool dates, dried blueberries)*
1 1/2 c chopped nuts and seeds (pecans, walnuts, sliced almonds, raw sunflower seeds, cashews)*
Topping (optional)
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
*NOTES
- any mix of dried nuts and fruit that you like
- can use canned pumpkin or mashed sweet potato instead of butternut squash
- make oat flour: process oatmeal in food processor until fine. Can substitute white flour
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Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 350.
In a large stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in molasses until blended. Beat in eggs. Add yogurt or ricotta, butternut squash, vanilla and almond extract, mix several minutes until blended and sugar is dissolved. Blend in Chia seeds and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, stir with a wire whisk to blend. Add to butter mixture a scoop at a time, blending after each addition. Mix in coconut.
Blend in dried fruit. Blend in nuts.
Spread into greased 13x9 pan.
If using topping: mix sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle all over top.
Bake in preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes (test center by pressing lightly to see if done).
Let cool completely in pan. Cut each pan into 24 squares. |
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:48 |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: I wanted something to bring hiking that was sweet, delicious, high energy, but made of 'real' food. I could picture it, a dark richly spiced dense cookie packed with oats, fruit, and nuts. Finding no recipe, I created my own. This is a combination of my favorite oatmeal cookie, with the spices from a dark molasses cookie, added eggs and greek yogurt for protein, chia to bind it together, and heavily studded with dried fruits and nuts/seeds for heartiness.
NOTE: I've been fine-tuning this to make sturdy bars that you can carry with you on the trail. If you prefer lighter bars (rise higher, more cake-like) suggest using 1/2 c squash, 2 eggs, 1 tsp soda.
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