Recipes for the Runner: Oats Peak Cookie Bars
You're sure to love our rail run-inspired sweet and salty bars that make the perfect treat post (or even during) your long trail runs.
Oats Peak Trail is a favourite among local trail runners here on the Central Coast of New South Wales. It has everything: grueling uphill, technical descent, a mass of connecting trails, and an awesome view at the top. With a balance of salty and sweet, smooth and crunchy, these bars remind us a little of favorite trails like this.
They provide a great alternative to your usual ‘energy bars’, as they have similar ingredients and are loaded with cookie-like flavor. They whip up in a matter of minutes, and will go from ingredients in your cupboard to out of the oven in less than an hour. With that, enjoy our Oats Peak Bars, inspired by a good trail run.
Oats Peak Cookie Bars
Makes 16 Bars
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt (or scant 1 TBSP kosher or sea salt)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- 2/3 cup peanut butter, or any nut butter
- 2/3 cup mini pretzels, roughly crushed
- ½ cup dark or milk chocolate chips
Preparation
Step 1: Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper, or grease thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 2: Combine everything except the pretzels and chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Mix using a pastry cutter or your hands (yes, your hands work just fine). You are looking to combine the ingredients into a crumbly mixture, with butter and nut butters generally incorporated but not yet clumped together like a dough.
Step 4: Pour about ¾ of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spread the pretzels and chocolate chips over the top of the batter, then spread the rest of the batter over the top.
Step 5: If desired, top the bars with more pretzels and chocolate chips, and/or drizzle with honey if you feel crazy.
Step 6: Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the bars are slightly puffy and golden brown.
Step 7: Let cool, slice, and enjoy! You can wrap them up for storage as well; they keep for about one week at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Approximate per serving: Calories 287 ⁄ Fat 15 grams ⁄ Saturated Fat 7 grams ⁄ Cholesterol 36 mg ⁄ Sodium 387 mg ⁄ Carbohydrates 35 grams ⁄ Fiber 2 grams ⁄ Sugars 16 grams ⁄ Protein 5 grams
