For a nutritious morning, try this simple no-bake oat bar recipe.

There are a million different ways to create oat bars, so there is something for everyone. You can make anything you can imagine, whether it's sweet, spicy, salty, crunchy, or chewy.

We adore oats for a variety of reasons, including their affordability, versatility, and the ease with which rolled oats can be used as a basic base for any form of oat bar or snack to satisfy all of your appetites.

I'd like to share a very simple and "basic" version of a recipe that can be changed indefinitely. Use this as a starting point, then alter it little each time you make it until you discover the perfect balance of flavors and aims for you.

Heat or soak oats thoroughly before eating: While horses and cattle can consume raw oats, we humans cannot. Our stomachs aren't designed to break down fiber and nutrients until we've had some of the hard work done for us. This is simply accomplished by "toasting" oats in a dry warm sauté pan for a few minutes, or on a flat baking sheet in the oven, until a slight golden brown color appears and some of the oils begin to emerge, then adding some coconut oil to balance the heat. To soak, pick the appropriate flavor combination that suits you most. Ripe smashed bananas, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, and, of course, your favorite milk are all good options.

Recipe for No-Bake Oat Bars

I recommend keeping the base vegan for safety and storage reasons. There are some excellent oat bar recipes out there that include butter, gobs of sugar, eggs, and milk, but you'll only want to eat these for a day or two after they've been made (much like scrambled eggs or a cup of milk). Work with all vegan "shelf-stable" components found on dry grocery shelves, such as dried fruit and nuts, honey, nut butters, and so on, to make a bar that keeps fresh and delicious for longer.

Dry Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats (not steel cut, not instant)

Lightly toast and set aside

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

“Wet” Ingredients

2 cups pitted medjool dates chopped coarsely

1 cup crunchy nut butter

1 cup chopped pecans (or any nuts you like)

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or any spice you like)

1 tsp. coarse salt

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

Set aside a 9 x 9-inch or similar-sized cake pan lined with parchment paper.

Over medium heat, heat a large skillet. 3 cups rolled oats, toasted in a dry pan until warm and golden. Turn off the fire and stir in the coconut oil until everything is fully combined.

In a food processor, pulse together all of the "wet" ingredients until you have a consistent, slightly chunky mixture. If you like smaller pieces in your bars, blend more; if you prefer larger chunks, blend less; then warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Toss the toasted oats with the wet ingredient combination in a mixing basin with a spoon. Once you've got a beautiful even mix, taste it and see what you want to add.

Chocolate chips, coarse salt, and any spices you desire are optional at this point.

Scoop the mixture into a parchment-lined cake pan, level it out, then smooth the top with a spoon or rubber spatula while gently pressing down. Refrigerate for one hour, covered. This allows time for the mixture to settle and solidify.

Turn cake pan onto cutting board, cut into desired size and shape, and serve!

Blend everything together when the oats are still warm from being roasted for the finest results. If the "wet mix" is too hard to work with, soften it in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. To keep the bars fresher for longer, cut them into individual bars and cover them tightly. Finally, each time you make these, don't be afraid to explore and try different things!