Road trips are almost synonymous with junk food in my mind.
I've traveled along that busy stretch of the 401 that connects Toronto to Montreal and Ottawa more times than I can count in my lifetime, sustaining myself during the voyage with Timbits crusted with sugary icing, extra-large paper cups of filled with too-hot bitter coffee, greasy McDonald's breakfast sandwiches, and smooshy Wendy's bacon cheeseburgers in shiny foil-paper wrappers.
There's simply no room for good, sensible food along that long asphalt strip stretching between Here and There.
What makes it a road trip is what happens along the way.
It's about whipping along at 100 kph past the patchwork of fields, exclaiming loudly whenever we pass a herd of sheep or cows, taking pictures of my feet propped up on the dash or pretty cloud formations, and singing out of tune to the Cat Empire songs that are always part of our road trip soundtrack. Without those things, it's just a longer-than-average car ride along the 401... and a boring one at that.
I'm trying something new this time, though.
I made homemade breakfast bars for us to eat on the road. Simple, chewy, healthy bars which we can quickly grab on the mad dash out the door at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning.
These healthy breakfast bars start with a base of old-fashioned oats and stoneground Red Fife flour, sweetened with brown sugar and moistened with milk and egg.
Then I layered in a few of my favourite granola bar ingredients for colour and flavour - handfuls of dried cherries for sweetness, chopped walnuts and bright green shelled pepitas for a little hearty crunch, and a scattering of semi-sweet chocolate chips for good measure.
A half-hour in the oven later, I had myself a pile of dense, nutty bars with a texture that falls somewhere in between muffin and cookie and granola bar, and a good-for-you pedigree that's hard to beat - there's fiber from the oats and whole wheat flour, calcium from the milk, and loads of anti-oxidants from the cherries, walnuts and chocolate.
And best of all, they're substantial enough to keep you going until lunch without feeling overly heavy.
Best of all, there's chocolate. And who doesn't love an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast?
So there probably won't be a Bacon and Egg McMuffin waiting for me somewhere along the 401 on this particular trip, but there will still be fields full of cows and sheep, pretty clouds to take pictures of, and off-key singalongs to How To Explain and The Lost Song.
In other words, it will still be a road trip... just a healthier, more delicious one.
//
Print
Cherry-Walnut Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 bars 1x
Description
These dense fruit, nut and oat bars are filled with the kind of good-for-you ingredients that'll keep you going until lunchtime - a perfect grab-and-go breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup roughly chopped California Walnuts
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp flax meal
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment, leaving a 1" overhang on either side.
- In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, walnuts, chocolate chips, cherries, pumpkin seeds, sugar, flax seeds, salt and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg and vanilla extract until combined. Pour into the dry ingredients, and stir until well combined. (It will look like a wet, soupy mess - don't panic, that's how it's supposed to be.)
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and smooth out into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the bars are set and golden brown.
- Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper and cut into 10 equally-sized bars. Bars can be stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
Emily says
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I made a batch, cut them into bars, and put them in the freezer. They defrost wonderfully!
★★★★★
Julie says
I'm a big fan of bars like these! Love your blog :)
~Julie
Mary says
I really like the way these sound. I'm relatively new to your blog and don't often comment, but I did want you to know that I am a regular visitor and really enjoy the time I spend here.I like the food and recipes you share with your readers and time here is always well-spent. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
julia says
these look marvelous. i want!
Maureen says
Love these bars! The cherry and walnut combination is a favorite of mine.
Danielle says
We have a road trip coming up that these would be perfect for. Can't wait to try them.
briarrose says
Excellent travel food...plus chocolate for breakfast...love it!
Tonya - What's On My Plate says
I'm a big fan of making my own granola bars. These bars are different from what I normally make, I love the inclusion of red fife.
Lynn @ I'll Have What She's Having says
Pretty much the only time I eat Tim's donuts is on the road to Toronto or Ottawa. There's just something about driving to Ontario that makes me feel like I have to do it.
These bars sound amazing. I'm going to make same for my morning commute to work!
Kim Bee says
I love this post. Your writing style is great. We did the 401 from Essex to London yesterday. Was fun until we got stuck for an hour and a half. I made the best of it and handed out cashew brittle to fellow jammers and water to hot puppies. I wish I'd have had these little beauties with me.
Anne@frommysweetheart says
Isabelle! Your road trips sound wonderful and leisurely! Just the way they should be! These bars look fabulous. I love how you described them as a cross between a muffin and a granola bar. I prefer my granola bars chewy! But I love the combination of ingredients...right down to the cherries and pepitas! : )
Tres Delicious says
I like this crispy walnut oatmeal bars. It's a must for me to try it.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
These sound perfect for breakfast and snacks!! Love that they also have pumpkin seeds!
Peggy says
These sound like the perfect take-along for any roadtrip - large or small! Hell, I would even love to have these on my 15 minute jaunt to work in the morning =) Have a safe trip girl!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says
I love a good road trip! These look like they would be the perfect snack on the road!
Tina@flourtrader says
These look so rustic and hearty-nice breakfast when you are rushed for time. The cherry and walnuts make a great combo. Yum!
Jeannie says
I love healthy bars like these, so convenient to take to office as lunch or snacks! Delicious too!