Cozy Lentil Hearty Bars (Printable Version)

Wholesome bars with lentils, oats, nuts, and warming spices provide a nourishing start or boost.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils, well drained

→ Dry Ingredients

02 - 1 ½ cups rolled oats
03 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
04 - ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - ¼ teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - ⅓ cup honey or pure maple syrup
10 - ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
11 - ¼ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 2 large eggs

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - In a large bowl, mash the cooked lentils with a fork until mostly smooth but retaining some texture.
03 - Add eggs, honey or maple syrup, applesauce, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the mashed lentils. Mix thoroughly.
04 - In a separate bowl, combine oats, chopped nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Stir well.
05 - Incorporate the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until fully blended.
06 - Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula.
07 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the surface is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
08 - Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into 12 portions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a cozy spiced cookie but pack the staying power of real protein and fiber.
  • No special ingredients or fussy techniques—just mash, mix, and bake your way to a week's worth of portable breakfast.
  • They're naturally sweet from honey and fruit, so you're not fighting cravings, you're satisfying them honestly.
02 -
  • Never skip the complete cool-down; cutting into warm bars is how you end up with a pan of delicious crumbs instead of neat slices.
  • The applesauce is doing invisible work keeping these moist—don't reduce it or swap it for something thicker or you'll get a dense hockey puck.
  • Lentils vary in moisture content depending on how long they've been cooked; if your batter looks soupy, add an extra quarter cup of oats and trust the process.
03 -
  • If your lentils are still warm when you mash them, let the batter cool slightly before baking or you might end up with the bars spreading too much.
  • The parchment paper isn't optional for easy cleanup—lining your pan takes thirty seconds and saves you ten minutes of scrubbing.

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