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Tea Soaked Fruit Breakfast Bars with Banana, Oats and Almond Butter
These Tea Soaked Fruit Breakfast Bars combine steel-cut oats, banana, cinnamon, almond butter and dried fruit for a wholesome homemade breakfast treat.
Why You Will Love and Enjoy Tea Soaked Fruit Breakfast Bars
- The dried fruit gets a little extra flavour from the rooibos tea before it goes into the batter.
- Banana, applesauce and almond butter keep the bars tender without making them overly sweet.
- You get to choose how soft or firm they are, thanks to a handy extra drying step.
Additional Information
- Can these bars be frozen? Yes. Once completely cooled, wrap individual bars well and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm briefly if you prefer them slightly softer.
- How long can they be stored and how? Because these bars contain banana, applesauce and soaked dried fruit, they shouldn’t be treated like a completely dry granola bar. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For a firmer texture, let one sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
- Can I use regular milk instead of almond soy milk? Yes. Unsweetened dairy milk, oat milk, soy milk or almond milk can be used. Choose an unsweetened version where possible so the bars don’t become overly sweet.
- Can I change the dried fruit? Absolutely. Raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, dates, figs or a combination all work. Just keep the total at about 1 cup.
- Can I leave out the candied ginger? Yes. It’s completely optional. If you like a little warmth without the extra sweetness, you can also replace it with another 1/2 tsp of cinnamon or a pinch of ground ginger.
- Can I use rolled oats instead of steel-cut oats? Yes. Rolled oats will give you a softer, less chewy texture. Use the same quantity and pulse briefly with the dry ingredients.
- What if my bars are still very moist? Give them another 15 to 20 minutes at 200⁰F (95⁰C). The exact drying time depends on how juicy your banana was, how well you drained the fruit, and whether you baked in glass or metal.
Tea Soaked Fruit Breakfast Bars
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Drying Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12–15 portions depending on size 1x
- Category: Appetizers and Snacks
- Method: Easy baking
Description
Soft, fruity and lightly spiced, these breakfast bars are made with tea soaked dried fruit, banana and a little almond butter. They bake up more like a tender breakfast cake at first, then a short drying step turns them into sturdier bars that are much easier to grab and go.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups steel-cut oats
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond soy milk
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup mixed dried fruit
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 rooibos tea bag
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup candied ginger, finely chopped, optional
- 1 medium banana, quartered lengthwise and diced
Instructions
- Put 1 cup mixed dried fruit in a bowl. Pour over 1 cup of boiling water and add 1 rooibos tea bag. Let the fruit soak for 30 minutes, then remove the tea bag and drain off any excess tea. Give the fruit a good drain because extra liquid will make the bars wetter than they need to be.
- Heat the oven to 375⁰F (190⁰C). Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan or glass baking dish. If your dish tends to stick, line it with parchment as well.
- Add 2 cups steel-cut oats, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp Pink Himalayan salt to a blender or food processor.
- Pulse a few times to break down the steel-cut oats slightly. You don’t need to turn them into a fine flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond soy milk, 4 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla essence until well combined.
- Add the oat and flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Stir until everything is combined. The batter will be quite wet and loose at this point, and that’s expected.
- Add the drained 1 cup mixed dried fruit and 1/4 to 1/2 cup candied ginger, if using. Stir gently so the fruit is spread throughout the batter.
- Fold in 1 medium banana, quartered lengthwise and diced, then spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake at 375⁰F (190⁰C) for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Because the fruit and banana add moisture, don’t judge doneness by the colour alone.
- Let the baked mixture cool in the pan until it’s firm enough to handle, then cut into 12 bars.
- For firmer breakfast bars, place the cut bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return them to the oven at 200⁰F (95⁰C) for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Turn the bars once halfway through, so they dry more evenly. This extra step is worth doing if you want a bar rather than something closer to breakfast cake.
- Cool the bars completely before storing them. They’ll firm up more as they cool.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Esme Slabs: SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes and EsmeSalon Homemade Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 137
- Sugar: 9.5 g
- Sodium: 64.4 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.7 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 4.1 g
- Cholesterol: 12.4 mg
Recipe Card powered by
The odd little step that makes these breakfast bars taste so much more interesting? Tea soaked fruit.
Tea Soaked Fruit Breakfast Bars offer a tender, fruit filled breakfast with steel-cut oats, banana, cinnamon and a subtle rooibos twist. The soaked fruit adds extra flavour, while the optional drying step creates a sturdier bar that’s easy to portion and enjoy throughout the week.
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