Browned Butter Apple Breakfast Bars

I feel like I have harped on enough about it, but life has changed drastically since we lost our car to the most random fire accident ever to happen.  I have had to relearn how to grocery shop here, plan errands and activities around train stops along the way, and leave for school an extra 30 to 40 minutes earlier. Thankfully, my oldest isn’t super bugged by it since he wakes up at the butt crack of dawn anyway…

One struggle that I have run into during our change in morning routine is my oldest not wanting to eat breakfast. No cereal, no bagels, no eggs. He just isn’t super hungry, and I can’t say I blame him! I scoured the internet for ideas for on the go breakfasts. None of them were really “toddler on a subway” friendly. I decided to throw a few ideas together into one and make a homemade breakfast bar. The real genius in this is that I can tell my oldest that these browned butter apple breakfast bars are just plan old granola bars. He totally thinks that he is having a snack, and I get to know that he is having a fiber filled homemade meal before a long day at school.

Most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry! And by taking the extra five minutes to brown the butter, these get the extra flavor of caramel without adding a ton of sugar. I used some homemade applesauce I made in the fall just to give it a little something extra. You could also dice an apple and mix that in for some extra bites of sweetness. If you are looking to ease the stress of the morning, make these! They aren’t crumbly or sticky, which makes them perfect for the car or walk to school.

Browned Butter Apple Breakfast Bars

Makes 6-8 bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cinnamon and salt.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Brown the butter by stirring constantly for five to eight minutes. As soon as you smell a fragrant caramel smell, take off the heat. Stir in the brown sugar, applesauce, milk and vanilla.

Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed together.

Press into the parchment lined baking dish. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown.

Let cool. Slice into six to eight pieces.

I wrapped up each bar in a little parchment paper and stored them in an airtight container. It made it super easy to just grab a bar and a banana as we headed out the door! Try these browned butter apple breakfast bars this weekend to make your Monday morning easy!