For the longest time, I couldn’t find the right sized muesli bar to fit in my sons’ snack and lunch boxes when we went out for adventures and kindergarten. They were always too big so I’d have to cut them up, or not square shaped to fit in compartments. After many trials and errors, I finally made a muesli bar that doesn’t crumble, isn’t sticky and can withstand a toddler’s grasp.

Though there isn’t added refined sugar in this recipe, I would suggest drizzling chocolate over the muesli bars for older kids or adult enjoyment! I might also add, this recipe is NOT suitable for babies under 12 months of age as it contains honey.

Makes one 23 x 23cm tray (you can cut the size according to your preference)

Ingredients

200g quick oats (or 200g of rolled oats, blitzed into smaller pieces)
35g wholemeal flour, sifted
½ tsp baking powder, sifted
½ tsp ground cinnamon, sifted
40g chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
80g honey
45g almond butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
100g coconut milk
100g pitted dates, chopped coarsely

Method

Preheat a fan forced oven to 160 degC, before lining a 23 x23 cm (9 inch) square baking tray. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. In a mixing jug, combine the wet ingredients before warming slightly in the microwave until the almond butter has softened and mixture is easily poured.

Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and mix well until it forms a firm dough. If you feel the mixture is a bit dry and difficult to handle, add a little bit of coconut milk to soften. Transfer dough to the baking tin, and press firmly into an even layer on the base. Using your hands and spatula is fine!

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove from the oven, and allow the slice to cool completely before cutting into desired portions, using a serrated knife.

Muesli bars can be stored in an air tight container for up to one week at room temperature, around two week in the fridge or in the freezer for three months.

Allergen modifications

To make this a nut free recipe, you can replace the almond butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter