Soft, warmly spiced, and made with simple ingredients—a cozy breakfast you can prep ahead.

These Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bake Bars are soft, lightly sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, somewhere between baked oatmeal and a breakfast bar. Made with rolled oats, fresh apple, peanut butter, and a handful of seeds, they’re sustaining and satisfying.

These bars are best served warm in a bowl with your milk of choice. They come together in just over 30 minutes and store well in the fridge or freezer, making them a great option for meal prep.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

Rolled Oats: The base of these bars. Rolled oats provide fibre, helping make the bars more sustaining while giving them their soft baked texture.

Apple: Adds natural sweetness, moisture, and a subtle fruity flavour throughout the bars. Keeping the peel on adds a little extra fibre. I recommend choosing one of these apple varieties as I find they hold their shape best in baked goods: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Cortland.

Peanut Butter: Adds richness, healthy fats, and plant-based protein, which helps keep you full longer. It also acts as a binder, helping hold the bars together. Any smooth nut or seed butter works here.

Applesauce: Adds moisture and a subtle sweetness while helping keep the texture soft. Applesauce also acts as a binding agent.

Maple Syrup: Adds sweetness and a warm, caramel-like flavour that pairs well with cinnamon and apple.

Flaxseed: Acts as a plant-based binder and adds omega-3 fats and fibre.

Chia Seeds: Similar to flaxseed, chia seeds absorb moisture and help bind the mixture. They also add fibre, healthy fat, and a little extra texture.

Hemp Seeds: Add plant-based protein and omega-3 fats. They blend into the bake bars without affecting the flavour.

Walnuts: Add a subtle crunch and omega-3 fats. They pair naturally with apple and cinnamon.

Cinnamon: The star spice of this recipe. Cinnamon adds warmth and enhances the sweetness of the apple and maple syrup.

Nutmeg: Adds depth and a subtle warmth in the background. A small amount goes a long way.

Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavours and enhances the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Baking Powder: Helps the bars rise slightly and gives them a lighter texture.

Salt: Balances and enhances all the other flavours.

Cookie Butter (Optional): A warm drizzle of cookie butter on top adds a touch of indulgence and pairs really well with the apple and cinnamon flavours.

Kitchenware

You’ll also need:

• 8×8 inch baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons & cups
• Spoon or spatula
• Sharp knife (for slicing)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients: Add the rolled oats (2 cups), ground flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cinnamon (1 1/2 tsp), nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Stir until evenly combined. Fold in the chopped apple and chopped walnuts. The mixture will be thick and slightly sticky. If it seems very dry, add 1–2 tbsp of milk to loosen it slightly.
4. Rest the mixture: Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes before pressing into the pan. This allows the chia seeds and flaxseed to absorb moisture, which helps the bars hold together and slice more cleanly after baking.
5. Press into the pan: Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and press firmly and evenly using the back of a spoon or spatula. For a subtle oat crust, sprinkle 1 tbsp of rolled oats and a pinch of cinnamon over the top before baking.
6. Bake: Bake for 22–25 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the centre is set. The centre may still feel slightly soft when you remove it from the oven (this is normal). The bake will firm up as it cools.
7. Cool and slice: Allow the bake to cool completely at room temperature (about 45–60 minutes) before slicing into bars. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for 1–2 hours after cooling, then lift out using the parchment paper and cut with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
8. Serve: These breakfast bake bars are best enjoyed warm. Reheat in the microwave for 30–60 seconds and serve in a bowl with your choice of milk. A drizzle of cookie butter on top is a lovely optional finishing touch.

Tips & Notes

• Finely chop the apple so it softens evenly during baking. Larger pieces may stay firm.
• For a nut-free option, swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter and omit the walnuts.
• Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Recipe

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