Healthy Food

Oat and berry breakfast bar recipe

14 slices
Print Recipe

Cereal bars from the supermarket can be tempting to reach for when you’re hungry, but did you know that many of them are full of sugar? This delicious breakfast bar recipe offers a healthier alternative. Not only do you know exactly what’s in them, they’re also teeming with pro- and prebiotics. They’re a tasty snack for any time of the day – not just breakfast!
The addition of chia seeds in this breakfast bar recipe supplies healthy omega-3 fats. Omega-3s are great for our hearts, lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure. They promote and help to support brain health too, combatting inflammation and boosting brain power.
For a gut-friendly treat, we love to serve these breakfast bars with a dollop of natural yoghurt. Yoghurt is an excellent source of calcium needed for healthy bones. It also contains vitamin B12, important for a healthy blood supply. Live yoghurt also contains countless ‘friendly’ lactobacillus bacteria, which help our digestive system run smoothly. They help to break down food, absorb nutrients and fight ‘unfriendly’ organisms that are often the cause of stomach upsets.

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Ingredients

  • 90g pack coconut chunks
  • 200g organic porridge oats
  • 40g chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 2 tbsp raw honey (unprocessed, not heat-treated)
  • 1 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
  • 150g blueberries

For the topping

  • 1 capful real vanilla extract (or the scrapings of a vanilla pod)
  • 1 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Put the coconut chunks in a small (about 29 X 19cm) lightly greased baking tin, then put in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Remove and leave to cool a little, then finely chop and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, into a large bowl put the oats and chia seeds, the almond butter and honey, and beat together until the oats are well combined. Add the yoghurt and mix again, then tip in the blueberries and cooled coconut and stir well.
  3. Line the tin with parchment paper, leaving the edges overlapping, then spoon in the oat mixture, spread over the tin until even and pack it down well using the back of a wooden spoon. Put in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
  4. For the topping, mix the yoghurt and vanilla extract together, then spoon it over the oat and blueberry slab in a drizzle effect. Put in the fridge overnight or for a few hours to chill and set, then slice, to serve.

The Good Gut Guide by Liz Earle - Liz Earle WellbeingThis recipe is taken from Liz’s best-selling book, The Good Gut Guide (Orion Spring). Pick up your copy here.