These Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal Bars are a tasty, filling, and healthy breakfast packed with whole grains and warm fall flavors. They double as a grab-and go snack that's kid-approved! Vegan and gluten-free.

At first I typed "Morning Gory Baked Oatmeal Bars."

Oh dear. It's too early for that.

So I'm one of those weird souls that actually enjoys grocery shopping. CAH-RAZY, right?

But...BUT. As of late, my life has taken a turn from busy to busier to busiest. The time I spend grocery shopping is now time I'd rather spend cooking, writing, and photographing. Grocery shopping isn't always easy. You work full time, the kiddos are sick, the hubs is out of town, you're pregnant, you're tired, you're overworked, you're all of the above. The bottom line is that we all have our priorities and spending thirty minutes at the grocery store may not be topping the list right now. And that's very ok!

If you've been reading the blog for a hot minute, you know I've been a long-time Kroger fan. I know that store like the back of my hand. It's where I do 90% of my grocery shopping. Why? Because they have incredibly affordable prices on natural and organic groceries and produce, the store is easy to navigate, and it's a three minute drive from where I live.

So when I heard that Kroger was launching an online ordering system called ClickList, I kind of freaked out.

You're saying I can order my groceries while I blog? While I snack on six different things? While I peruse Instagram? STAHP IT.

So how does it work? ClickList is a convenient online shopping platform that allows you to choose from over 70,000 hand-selected items available in-store (fruits, veggies, snacks, you name it!). Basically you hop online and search for the items you want to order. Once you've added everything to your cart, you confirm your order online then select a date and time for pick-up. You can pay when you pick up the groceries. It's almost as easy as this delish Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal!

There's really nothing complicated about the process. You can even make changes to your order up until 11:59 pm of the day before your order is scheduled for pickup.

I personally really like how you can view your recent purchases and easily add them to your cart since I'm a creature of habit and I pretty much always buy the same stuff. Halle-freaking-lujah!

Having someone else shop for the ingredients in this oatmeal bake like made my life last week.

This breakfast of champions is the perfect morning fuel for kiddos and adults of all ages. It's 100% whole grain, packed with secret fruits and veggies, and is totally free of refined sugar, oil, and butter. To make it gluten-free, simply use certified gluten-free oats. Feel free to toss in more dried fruit, granola, chocolate chips, or whatever tickles your fancy. The best part is that these double as a grab-and-go snack if you're Super Mom or Super Wife or Super Human and already have the breakfast situation all figured out.

When I had time, I loaded up on the pure maple syrup and almond butter for toppings. Go wild, breakfast beauties!

Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal Bars

★★★★★ 5 from 9 reviews

Author: Alexis
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Yield: 9 bars 1x
Category: Breakfast

Print Recipe

Description

These Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal Bars are a tasty, filling, nutrient-dense breakfast packed with whole grains and warm fall flavors. They also make a great grab-and go snack that's kid-approved! Vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Scale

⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water
2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
¼ cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mashed overripe banana (2 large bananas)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup diced apple (use a large apple and save the leftovers for topping)
½ cup shredded carrots (I used Kroger's pre-shredded kind)
¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spread walnuts on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until golden and toasty. Set aside.
Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Place flax and water in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Set aside to gel for 5 minutes.
Place ½ cup oats in a blender or food processor (I used my Nutribullet). Blend until it resembles flour. Dump into a large mixing bowl and stir in remaining 2 cups of oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, and toasted walnuts.
Mash bananas in a separate medium mixing bowl. Add almond milk, applesauce, vanilla, and flax mixture. Mix well then fold in apple, carrot, and cranberries. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until just combined.
Pour into prepared dish. Top with thinly sliced apple if desired and bake for about about 40 minutes.
Slice into 9 pieces. Top with pure maple syrup, nut butter, or toppings of choice. Eat room temp as a snack bar or heat in microwave for a quick breakfast!