Bright globes of fruit everywhere: The sultry sweets of summer, in peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines. It is our juiciest season, the moment the northern hemisphere bursts into a symphony of fruit sugar. Though it’s fun to blend these fresh fruits into smoothies, bake them into pies, and eat them straight over the sink, I set out to make these as a middle ground between snack and dessert.
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My best breakfasts toe the line between light and hearty, with a balance of sweet and savory flavors, and a nod to the season. In summer—or when it’s particularly hot—I’m tempted to skip breakfast and cruise on into my day without the strengthening effects of food in my belly. These easy breakfast bars are fast, totally vegan, low in sugar, and a celebration of the flavors of summer. They also solve the problem of over-eating breakfast pastries: These bars are so clean that a few bites extra only means a belly full of even more joy.
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Ingredients

Nectarine Oat Bars
  • 1 3/4 cup rolled oats, blended into flour
  • 1 1/2 cup rolled oats, whole
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup raw coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 small-medium nectarines, thinly sliced
Oat Almond Streusel
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats, whole
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons raw coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 3/4 cups rolls oats into flour. In a medium bowl, combine oat flour with rolled oats, cinnamon, cardamom, and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Add coconut oil and maple syrup, and mix to combine. Press into base of pan in an even layer, and cover with nectarine slices, slightly overlapping.
  2. To make the streusel, blend raw almonds and rolled oats in a blender or food processor until you have a meal with just a bit of texture left. Transfer to mixing bowl, and add a couple pinches of sea salt, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Blend to combine—you should have a damp sand-like mixture. Crumble over top in a light layer, setting aside any extra to bake as granola.

  3. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until edges and top are beginning to brown.

Nutritional Information

Calories
369
Total Fat
21g
Saturated Fat
14g
Cholesterol
0mg
Sodium
133mg
Carbohydrates
40g
Dietary Fiber
4g
Sugars
12g
Protein
7g
YIELD:

9 bars