The Oat Bars I Make Instead of Serving Cereal
Cereal being marketed as a breakfast food has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. Starting the day with a naked carb, often loaded with sugar and food dye, just isn't my thing. But I do love quick and easy, so this one's become our go-to instead.
I prefer blending sprouted oats with cottage cheese and egg whites creates a high protein, nutrient dense bar that bakes in under half an hour. We slice them up, keep a stash in the freezer, and warm them up in the air fryer topped with fruit, honey, or nut butter for a quick morning meal that actually keeps us full.
What do you need?
3 cups oats (I use One Degree sprouted!)
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups egg whites
1 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
Dash of vanilla
How do you make them?
Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Add any toppings you like before baking, we typically go with berries.
A note on the egg whites: I use just the whites here to boost the protein content, and because I like saving the yolks for custard, nothing goes to waste.
How do we store and reheat them?
Once cooled, cut into rectangles and freeze. In the morning, we pop them in our non-toxic air fryer to reheat, then top with butter, jam, or nut butter, whatever we're in the mood for.
Any tips before you start?
Sprouted oats are gentler on digestion if that's something you're mindful of. These freeze beautifully, great for meal-prepping a whole week of breakfasts at once. You can also customize toppings by the batch if you want variety through the week, some berry, some plain.
If turning real, whole-food ingredients into something kids actually get excited about is your thing, I've also written about why I make my own elderberry honey lollipops, another treat that swaps out the usual store-bought version for something we feel good about.
What's your go-to easy breakfast? Drop it below.
Thanks for being here, friends!