Homemade NO JUNK Nutrigrain Style Bars

Y'all, put DOWN the Nutrigrain bars! I know they seem like a good idea, I mean, Nutri is right in the name, not much nutritious there though, I won't share the ingredients here but just glance at how long that list is and how much dye is in it. Fruit is not even the first ingredient in the filling.  

I get it, us Moms need a break once in a while, and the concept doesn't seem like a bad way to get that break. These are so easy for busy mornings and last minute snacks but there is a better way.

I whipped these up this morning and they smell SO good! It didn't take long to make at all, even wearing the baby while I did most of the prep.

Totally worth it!

Ingredients

1 1/4 C Flour 

1C Oats

2 TBSP Ground Flax

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Corn Starch

1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or cinnamon)

1/4 Tsp Salt

6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil/Butter Room Temperature (I used a combo)

2 TBSP Honey

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla

Filling

Fresh or frozen fruit or Jam/Jelly

*optional sweetener

Directions

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees

~Prep your baking sheet with parchment paper

~Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl
~In a larger mixing bowl combine oil/butter, honey, eggs and vanilla

~Slowly add all dry ingredients into wet mixture until a ball forms.

~Make Filling

I just mixed about 3/4 C previously frozen, thawed strawberries with a pinch of corn starch and blended them up in the blender.  You can use Jam instead alternately.

~Flour your clean working surface lightly

~Using half of the dough, roll out until about 8"x10" rectangle.

~Cut into 4"X 5" rectangles

~Spread 1-2 TBSP filling on center of each rectangle, be sure to avoid edges.

~Fold the sides on top of the filling and pinch the seem

~Fold ends in and seal. I used a fork to seal the ends.

~Optional* sprinkle some oats on top

~Place on cooking sheet

~Repeat with other half of dough

~Freeze or refrigerate for a little bit to let dough firm up. I gave mine about 7 minutes in the freezer.

Bake for 22 minutes or until golden on the edges and top.

Mine were a little pale, and not as brown as I wanted. I turned the broiler on for the last 2 minutes to get the right color.

These are SO much better tasting than the packaged kind and no junk! The outside is barely crispy but the inside of the dough is still very moist and slightly dense. The filling was just sweet enough. Although I did use Oregon Strawberries we picked over the summer, and Oregon really has THE best, sweetest strawberries. If you are using fresh strawberries out of season, you might want to add a little sweetener, like honey, to your fruit mix. 

These really taste like breakfast and not like dessert, not overly sweet.

I didn't add enough fruit when I did it, I only used 1 TBSP, I would suggest closer to 2.

 My first go around are UGLY.

Second round of putting them together was much easier. I didn't have a baby on my chest while I worked ;)

I will for sure be adding these into the rotation of things to make on Sundays for our weekly prep.

I am storing mine in an airtight container but I am also going to freeze 1 or 2, well if I can keep them around that long, and see how they do from the freezer.