Description
These healthy zucchini oat bars are wholesome enough for breakfast but indulgent enough for dessert. They’re vegan, easily made gluten-free, and perfect for an on-the-go nutritious treat! Loaded with oats, flax, zucchini, and naturally sweetened with raisins, bananas, and dark chocolate.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- ½ cup raisins (ensure they are moist and sticky; if dry, soak in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain well)
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
- ¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter (use an all-natural, runny, no-sugar-added variety)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed very dry (see notes)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks (plus more for topping), use a vegan brand if desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease an 8×8 inch nonstick baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Process Oats and Raisins: Place the old fashioned oats and raisins into a food processor. Pulse together until the oats resemble a coarse flour consistency.
- Combine Remaining Ingredients: Add the ground flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, mashed bananas, natural peanut butter, applesauce, and vanilla extract to the food processor with the oat/raisin mixture.
- Process Until Smooth: Process until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl as necessary.
- Add Zucchini and Chocolate: Transfer the mixture to a bowl (or continue in the food processor if large enough, but mixing by hand is often better at this stage). Use a spatula to stir in the squeezed-dry shredded zucchini and ½ cup of the dark chocolate chunks until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Top with additional chocolate chunks.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Slice: Let the bars cool completely in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes before using the parchment paper sling to lift them out. Cool further on a wire rack before slicing into 9 large bars.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: Ensure your oats are certified gluten-free if required.
- Raisins: Use moist, sticky raisins. If yours are dry, soaking them briefly plumps them up.
- Peanut Butter: Natural, runny peanut butter (just nuts and salt) works best. Do not use conventional peanut butter with added sugars and oils, as the texture will be different. Almond or cashew butter can be substituted.
- Squeezing Zucchini: It is crucial to squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the shredded zucchini using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Excess moisture will make the bars too wet.
- Chocolate: Use vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips if needed.
- Storage: Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.