Healthier Mango Oat Bars
Nothing says mango season like these sharable and tasty mango oat bars. With a little patience and arm strength, you will be ready for that potluck!
Equipment
- 9" x 13" baking pan
- parchment paper
- Stainless steel dough blender and cutter
- Large mixing bowl
- Food processor
Ingredients
- Canola oil spray or butter to grease pan
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup palm sugar packed
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 3 cups mangoes chopped (equal to about 2 ¼ cup mango puree)
- ¼ cup palm sugar loosely packed
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with parchment paper and spray with canola oail spray or grease with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 cups old fashioned oats, ½ cup palm sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp baking powder together until well combined. Using a pastry blender or two forks cut the ¾ cup cold butter into the flour mixture until large crumbs form and it looks like sand. Set aside 1 ½ cup of the mixture for the topping and put in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Firmly press the remaining crumb mixture into the baking pan into an even layer. The butter will melt a little from this process and that’s what you want.
- In a food processor blend the 3 cups mangoes, ¼ cup palm sugar, and 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch together until smooth. You will have about 2 1/3 cups of the puree mixture.
- Spread the blended mango mixture evenly over the crust. Get the reserved crumb mixture from the refrigerator and press it between your fingers until the butter is smashed into the flour and oats. If you skip this step, you will have a dry crumble topping. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mango mixture.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown and the mango filling is bubbling. You can put the pan on the top rack for the last 10 minutes of baking if your crust looks too pale. The mango filling will still look loose and will firm up when it cools.
- Once cool, use the parchment paper to lift the entire oat bar out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut the oat bar into 24 pieces.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Can I use other types of fruits for this bar?
Yes. Any type of berry would be a great swap for the mango. I plan to try it with papaya when I am blessed with a surplus.
In a pinch, you can use fruit preserves if you do not have fresh fruit.
Can I break down the palm sugar in the food processor?
You can try. However, when I’ve done it the palm sugar starts to melt from the heat of the blade. It results in a thick goo stuck to the sides of the food processor and clumps of sugar that you can smush with your fingers.
Butter substitutions?
I’ve used vegan butter in baked goods like scones and they are pretty good. You might be able to use vegan butter in place of the butter to reduce the saturated fat.
Can I make this ahead of time?
It’s best if you make it at least 6 hours before you plan to serve it. This accounts for cooking and cooling time before you cut the bars.
How long can I store these bars?
They last for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also put them in the freezer and they keep for up to 3 months. Take the frozen bars out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve.