Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

For 12 servings

• •Cooking spray
• •1 1/2 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats (5 1/2 ounces; 156g)
• •2 c. à soupe light brown sugar (5/8 ounce; 20g)
• •1 c. à soupe (15ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• •3 c. à soupe (45ml) honey, divided
• •5 medium pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• •3 /4 cup (180ml) unsweetened creamy sunflower butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter
• •1 /4 cup unsweetened dried blueberries, raisins, currents, chopped dried figs, or dried cranberries (1 3/4 ounce; 50g)
• •1 /4 cup (1 1/2 ounces; 45g) chia seeds
• •1 /4 cup (1 3/8 ounces; 40g) hemp seeds
• •1 /4 cup (1 1/4 ounces; 36g) raw unsalted sunflower kernels
• •2 c. à soupe (30ml) fruit preserves, such as blueberry, cherry, or raspberry
• •0.5 c. à café kosher salt

Method

1. 1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F(160℃). Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set both aside.
2. 2.In a medium bowl, stir oats, brown sugar, oil, and 2 tablespoons of the honey until well combined. Spread oat mixture evenly onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes and returning to an even layer, until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.
3. 3.While oats are cooling, in a food processor, process dates and seed or nut butter until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down sides of processor bowl as needed.
4. 4.In a large bowl, stir together the cooled oats, sunflower butter mixture, dried fruit, chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower kernels, fruit preserves, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon honey until well combined and the mixture holds together, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. 5.Spread oat mixture firmly into the bottom of prepared baking pan, using bottom of a greased measuring cup to press into a flat even layer. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of oats mixture; wrap baking pan in additional plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
6. 6.Remove and discard plastic. Using parchment overhang as handles, remove bars; place on a cutting board. Cut bars into 1 1/4- x 4-inch squares. Serve or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.