Chewy Whole Grain Breakfast Bars

These easy, healthy whole grain breakfast bars are packed with fiber and healthy ingredients. They make a perfect car snack and they double as a healthy breakfast when you're on the run or on vacation.

Two things you should know about traveling and me:

  1. I LOVE to plan vacations, almost as much as I love to talk about food.  I read travel magazines and books like it’s my job (I have at least 25 different Frommer’s guides on my shelf).  I study maps, travel websites and all associated forums.  I read train schedules, weather maps, and I have files on the best restaurants in most countries and major cities in the world…because you never know when I might need to hop on a plane to somewhere.  Which brings me to number 2.
  2. We take far more flying vacations than driving vacations, and I am TERRIFIED to fly.  I know I’m not alone on this one, but I literally have to medicate myself to get on a plane, and then I won’t eat or drink anything because I refuse to unbuckle to get up and use the restroom (I know -tmi).  I am a little bit better since getting hypnotized a few years back.  Seriously.  Better, but not great.  After we land, I am usually fairly unconscious for the rest of the first day, and then I start worrying about the flight home by the halfway point.

So for me, sometimes the best part of my trip is the planning part.  I can read and plan and dream without ever having to get on the plane.  Part of the planning always includes food, and when we travel we I prefer to not have to waste time (and money) going out to breakfast.  That way, we I have no guilt about splurging a little bit more on a really memorable dinner.  OK, sometimes my husband, and if we’re traveling as a family, my son, will sneak off to a buffet breakfast, but my daughter and I prefer something small and fairly healthy, and as long as there's lots of coffee, we're good.  Who wants to sit by the pool or tour around a city with a big, heavy stomach?

Enter, my chewy, chocolate, oat, quinoa, nut, fruit bars – AKA No Need To Stop For Breakfast Bars.  Easy to make ahead, keep in the freezer, and stuff into the suitcase and/or carry on.  Each bar is like a mini meal – full of whole grains from the oats and quinoa, protein from the nuts and peanut butter, fruit and of course a good dose of antioxidants from the dark chocolate!  

No Need To Stop For Breakfast Bars|Craving Something Healthy

We love them for a snack after a day of sightseeing, or (this is the best part) crumbled into a bowl or cup, and topped with milk for breakfast.  Easy, healthy, portable, and much healthier than the buffet breakfast.

No Need To Stop For Breakfast Bars | Craving Something Healthy

Recipe

No Need To Stop For Breakfast Bars|Craving Something Healthy

Chewy Whole Grain Breakfast Bars

Healthy, whole grain bars perfect for breakfast on the go
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
chill time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 248kcal

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup cashews chopped
  • cup roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup chopped dried fruit cranberries, raisins, apricots, etc
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ cups Multi Grain Cheerios
  • cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup PB2 powdered peanut butter

Instructions

  • Line a 9 x13 pan with foil, so that it hangs over the sides. Spray foil with cooking spray and set pan aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, and add quinoa and oats. Stir to coat with oil, and lightly toast the oats and quinoa for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Place oat mixture into a large mixing bowl, and add cashews, sunflower seeds, chopped fruit, chocolate chips and Cheerios. Stir everything together to combine well.
  • Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stir lightly to dissolve, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring, until sugar is a faint golden color (about 6 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring only as needed, until color is deep amber (another 1-3 minutes).
  • Immediately remove from heat, and stir in half and half, vanilla and peanut butter or PB2 powder.
  • Mixture will bubble vigorously, so be careful! Stir well and work quickly before caramel sets.
  • Quickly stir the caramel mixture into the oat/Cheerios mixture and stir well to coat everything with the caramel.
  • Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and pat and pack very firmly into a smooth, flat layer. Make sure to pack the oat mixture as tightly as possible, or the bars will fall apart. Chill for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. When chilled, lift foil out of pan, and cut into 16 bars.
  • Wrap each bar with wax or parchment paper as shown, as they can be a bit messy if eaten warm.
  • Store extras in an airtight container the refrigerator or freeze.

Notes

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Nutrition information is for 1 bar made with reduced-fat powdered peanut butter.
Store individually wrapped bars in the freezer for a grab-and-go breakfast

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag me @CravingSomethingHealthy!

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do, and don’t forget to check out the other fabulous travel snacks from my fellow Recipe ReDuxers!  Do you have a favorite tried and true travel snack?

Eat well!

10 Comments

  1. Thanks for the great recipe. I've made it three times now and have varied it just a bit by swamping out some of the bits for pumpkin seeds, adding chia and flax seeds, using a 5-grain cereal blend instead of just oats (rye flakes, oats, etc), and making a honey based caramel sauce. My 4-year old daughter loves it and considers it a treat and I like knowing she's eating something good for her 🙂

  2. I love planning (and daydreaming about) trips too. 🙂 It almost feels anticlimactic to get there! These bars look delicious!

  3. You say in the recipe, "Immediately transfer the granola mixture into the prepared pan"
    But you don't mention how to prepare the pan...is it greased, lined with parchment paper? How big is the pan?

    1. OOPS! Thanks so much for noticing that 🙂 I had a problem with my cut and paste on that recipe and that part got cut. It's a 9X13 lined with foil to hang over the sides, and sprayed with cooking spray. I'll fix it in the recipe!

  4. Love the addition of quinoa to bump up the protein. We're going tent camping next week with no refrigerator, etc! I'll be making these for our grab-and-go breakfasts!

    1. Have a great time! If you make these, maybe leave out the chocolate if they'll get warm -unless you don't mind a bit messy 🙂

  5. First off, welcome aboard to ReDux! You certainly fit right in with this yummy look recipe (I like how you mentioned you can also crumble up the bar and eat like cereal with milk.) And I must say, good for you for not letting your fear of flying keep you from traveling - you go, girl 🙂

    1. Thanks Deanna! So happy to be a new member. I'm glad I love to travel more than I hate to fly!

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