Meatless Friday: Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars

Monica Portogallo shares a simple breakfast bar recipe that is great for Lent or any time of year.

Lent is a time for simpler, less indulgent food, and people often eschew desserts and sweets. These 5-ingredient, fruit-sweetened, mix-and-bake bars make a great breakfast or hearty snack any time of year, but especially during Lent. Plus, with ~10 g of protein and ~4 g of fiber per bar, they are pretty filling, too.

Peanut Butter Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup date paste (see below)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, egg, date paste, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir the oats into the peanut butter mixture. It should resemble sticky cookie dough.
4. Spoon the dough into 8 equal mounds on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, a spatula, or the back of a spoon, shape the mounds into rectangular bars, or whatever shape you prefer, that are about ½” thick.
5. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until the tops of the bars are dry and no longer shiny. Serve when cooled.

To make date paste, place dried dates in a bowl or cup and add water until the dates are just covered. Soak for at least 15 minutes, then puree the dates and water using a blender or food processor until the mixture is smooth and uniform.