Can you make this recipe healthier?

[LG Gone Wild]

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

 

12 TABLEspoons of unsalted butter (melted)

1 cup firmly packed dried apricots

1 1/2 old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup AP flour

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Basically mix together and bake.

 

So I am thinking whole wheat flour instead of AP. Maybe throw in some some ground flax seed. The bars came out not quite bar-like. So maybe some eggs and baking powder? The butter was nice but the "bars" were really heavy in the stomach. :tongue_smilie:

[*Lulu*]

Cut the butter in half and use 6 tablespoons puried white beans in place of the rest of the butter. You may have to play around with this, but I have never had the family realize I am substituting when I go half and half with the beans and butter.

 

Change the flour to white wheat. Then incrementally (over the next few tmes you make the recipe) substitute whole wheat for white wheat until the texture becomes too altered.

 

Incrementally decrease the amount of sugar. I'd start by backing down to 3/4ths of a cup.

[Rbsmrter]

Have you ever tried coconut oil? It does leave a slight coconut taste in the final product (I notice it, but the rest of my family never does), but I think it's a nice compliment to things like granola and fruit bars. If you still wanted to keep some of the butter, maybe you could do half and half.

[Misty]

Also, add some milled flax seed. I add flax seed to everything I bake.

[Blueridge]

They sound yummy! I would use white wheat because it's sweeter. I would also use honey wheat germ instead of flax, because the flax might change the texture. Sucanat would be a bit healthier than brown sugar.

[HSMom2One]

I think these bars would be just delicious with some chopped nuts. Any kind would do well: walnuts, pecans, almonds...whatever.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[PeterPan]

Personally, I'd eat the apricots straight and make banana muffins with the rest of those ingredients and some old bananas. Lighter in the stomach. :)

[foxbridgeacademy]

Sub 1/4 of the flour for flaxseed flour (has lots of omega-3 and nutty flavor) I think you can then omit some of the fat since flax is so fatty (good stuff!). Add in some nuts, walnuts or almonds most heart healthy, but pecans are the best. You could also add a handful of seeds/grains. Something like quinoa, sunflower, flax, ect. I would also consider cutting some but not alot of the butter using applesauce instead? You would need to look up the exact replacement ratio but I know it can be done. Maybe some blackstrap molaasas?

[specialmama]

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

 

12 TABLEspoons of unsalted butter (melted)

1 cup firmly packed dried apricots

1 1/2 old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup AP flour

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Basically mix together and bake.

 

So I am thinking whole wheat flour instead of AP. Maybe throw in some some ground flax seed. The bars came out not quite bar-like. So maybe some eggs and baking powder? The butter was nice but the "bars" were really heavy in the stomach. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'd sub applesauce for the butter, splenda for the sugar, omit salt, and yes, do another flour or perhaps use ground almond meal instead of flour.

[Soror]

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

 

12 TABLEspoons of unsalted butter (melted)I'd do have coco oil and half butter- I'm not anti-butter but think it would taste better

1 cup firmly packed dried apricots

1 1/2 old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup AP flourI'd do almond flour- lower gi /carb and wheat free :)

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar"I'd do a mix of turbinado/succanat/rapadura and honey

1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Basically mix together and bake.

 

So I am thinking whole wheat flour instead of AP. Maybe throw in some some ground flax seed. The bars came out not quite bar-like. So maybe some eggs and baking powder? The butter was nice but the "bars" were really heavy in the stomach. :tongue_smilie:

 

It all depends on what you define as healthy :)