Power Oat Bars

Welcome to Running Inter Alia! (To learn more about me and this blog click here.) I could not think of a better first post than one of my favorite recipes! This is a recipe I have developed over the years, but it is loosely based on a recipe I found here. The recipe is for what I call "Power Oat Bars." These bars are great for a snack anytime. But, I love to eat them right after a run to stave off the hunger (or hanger) that can set in before I can prepare and eat a more substantial post-run meal. These bars are great because they contain some protein and lots of carbs, which is the perfect combination to refuel after a run or workout. Best of all, they are incredibly simple to make. The only equipment you need is a mixing bowl, spoon, and an oven. 

Power Oat Bar Recipe

Dry Ingredients 
1 1/2 Cups of quick cooking oats 
1/2 Tsp. salt 
2 Tsp. cinnamon 
1 Scoop of vanilla protein powder (you could probably use chocolate, but I have never tried it). I usually use Perfect Fit Protein in my bars, but I think that any protein powder will work. Side note: the creators of Perfect Fit Protein, Tone It Up, recently changed the formulation of this protein powder. I have not tried to make these bars with the new formulation, but once I do, I will provide an update. 

Optional Dry Ingredients
1/2-1 Cup chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate) 
1/4-1/2 Cup raisins
Anything you else you want to add, such as craisins, walnuts, hemp seeds, or chia seeds

Wet Ingredients 
2     Ripe bananas 
2/3  Cup unsweetened Apple Sauce 
1/3  Cup peanut butter (almond butter also works great)
1/2  Tsp. vanilla 
1 Tsp. coconut Oil 
2 Tsp. honey (optional) 

Directions 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Spray a brownie pan (the size does not really matter, but may affect cooking time) with a non-stick cooking spray (I use a coconut oil based spray that I found at Trader Joes).
3. Place bananas into the mixing bowl and mush them up until they are mostly smooth. It is okay if some chunks still remain. 
4. Add peanut butter and apple sauce to the bananas and mix together until the mixture is blended well. Again, it is okay if a few small banana chunks remain. Once the apple sauce, peanut butter, and bananas are mixed well add in the vanilla, coconut oil, and honey. 
5. Add all of the dry ingredients to the mixture. I like to add in the optional ingredients last. 
6. Once the ingredients are well mixed, spread the mixture evenly in the pan. The mixture should be pretty moist. 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. It is done when the top is golden brown and the center is still slightly mushy. Let cool and slice into bars. 

These bars keep best if they are refrigerated. You can also freeze them. They seem to defrost really well. I usually put them into a gallon size Ziploc bag and place them flat in the fridge.  

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. If you make them, let me know what you think!

-- Alyssa