Ingredients
Bar Base:
1 stick (8 tbsp) salted butter, softened
2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup whole wheat flour (white flour works, too)
1/4 cup brown sugar (pressed)
1 tsp baking powder
Strawberry Filling:
2 cups frozen or fresh strawberries
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Strawberry Filling:
- Put strawberries into a saucepan over medium heat
- Soften for about 5 minutes, then smash with a potato masher or wooden spoon
- Once mashed strawberries reach your desired consistency and being to bubble, then remove from heat
- Stir-in chia seeds and lemon juice
- Cool for about 30 minutes. The chia seeds will thicken the strawberries and create a jam-like consistency.
Bars:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees
- Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with either parchment or non-stick spray/butter
- In a large bowl, mix together butter, oats, flour, brown sugar and baking powder. Once incorporated, the ingredients will be crumbly and slightly moist
- Spoon just over half of the mixture into the 8×8 pan and press down firmly
- Spread 1 cup (8oz) of strawberry jam over the pressed bar base
- Sprinkle remaining mixture from the bowl over the jam layer. Press down lightly, but don’t push through to the jam layer
- Bake for 35 minutes in a 350-degree oven
- Remove and let cool about 15 minutes
- Crumble about 1/8 of the recipe into a bowl. Top with your favorite milk.
Notes
Store uneaten bars in the refrigerator.
When ready to eat more, you can crumble directly into a bowl or over yogurt.
In cooler weather, you can microwave the strawberry crisp cereal for 30 seconds. Then, pour milk over it for a dessert-like treat.