Porridge Bars

  ~ transform leftover oatmeal into yummy breakfast bars ~

Porridge Bars

2 cups Left Over Oatmeal
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup Honey
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 - 1.2 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp plain Gelatin powder (optional but mitigates the desiccating effect of coconut flour)
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously grease 9x13 baking pan
Whisk eggs a little, then whisk in honey, melted butter (be sure it's not too hot or it'll cook the eggs!), vanilla, and vinegar. Stir in the oatmeal.
In a separate bowl sift or stir together the dry ingredients.
Sprinkle a little of the dry mix onto the oatmeal mixture and stir in; repeat until all it is all mixed in. Add the peanut butter and stir in.
Pour into the greased baking pan.
Bake in the 350 degree F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry and mostly clean.
Cool in the pan, and there you have it!

  
I adapted this recipe from Sheri Graham at http://sherigraham.com. 
  
If this will last that long without getting eaten, it makes a good instant-breakfast or breakfast-on-the-go for my grandchildren.
  
  I make big pots of all dandied up oatmeal for my grandchildren and family already, so I use the lesser amounts of honey and salt above as there's some already in the porridge, put if the oatmeal was plain I'd use the greater amounts. Also, when making I use 3 cups fluid per 1 cup oats, 50% more fluid than usually called for, so you could possibly a little fluid of your choice if you feel it is needed; I would use milk or yogurt to increase the protein content. 
 
Only have one cup of oatmeal left over? Halve the recipe and bake in a 9" round cake pan. 
 
Evidently, oatmeal bars can also be made into a breakfast brownie with the full amount of honey and the addition of cocoa and optional chopped dark chocolate. I will be trying this out, maybe with carob instead for the children. (I wonder about simply using carob as the flour, ie to replace the coconut flour, would have to at least double the quantity but wouldn't need to add the extra honey.)

This recipe is gluten-free for those who tolerate oats, but be sure to make it only from oatmeal you know is safe for you!  I imagine that any porridge would work to make these bars, whether from oats or from other grains or a grain-free porridge.