Chewy Oatmeal Spice Bars

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 32 bars

• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 3/4 cup apple butter or 3/4 cup applesauce
• 2 egg whites or 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins or 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together sugars and margarine until well blended.
3. Add apple butter, egg whites, milk and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well (Dough will be moist).
6. Spread dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
8. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
9. Store tightly covered.

Reviews

[Sudie]

Thank you Dancer! My DH needs to lower his cholesterol and can't abide cooked cereal. I think you might have given me a solution with these bars! The whole family loved them. Great with a cup of tea, or on the run for a quick breakfast!

[annlouise]

Wouldn't call it a cookie, but rather a "flat muffin" or "breakfast bar". They were more cake-like than I expected. Delicious and healthy! I made mine extra healthy with 1/2 c whole wheat flour and 1/4 c honey instead of the white sugar. I also used 1/2 c rolled barley instead of rolled oats. I think next time I will cook at 325 for longer, to give the oats more time to soften. I also DOUBLED the cinn and nutmeg and added 1/4 t allspice--I always double my spices, plus I used applesauce which doesn't have the spices of some apple butters (but why would you waste yummy apple butter in a recipe?!) Thanks, Dancer, this one I can feel good about giving to my kids!

[Starluvsky]

These were good. Kind of tasted like a spicy oatmeal cookie. I served this with a vanilla glaze so it was more like a dessert. Thank you.