Dan’s Crunchy Oat Squares with Chia, Goji, and Poppy Seeds

Hey friendinoes, yes, we doing oat squares now. This is the obligatory section of the recipe where I actually go into my life and how this delicious oat square recipe came out of some awfully mundane day to day life thing that happened but not this time. Me and Claude cooked this bad boi up. If you eat 2 150-200g squares you’ll be able to hit 60% daily target on calories and nutrients. Not too bad. I’ve never made them or checked the maths on that stat closely but I’ll update here once I’ve tried the recipe for myself.

Ingredients

2½ cups rolled oats
¼ cup chia seeds (1 tablespoon to be hydrated separately)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
⅓ cup dried goji berries
½ cup chopped almonds or walnuts (optional)
⅓ cup honey or maple syrup (reduce to ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon if less sweetness desired)
⅓ cup melted salted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (about ⅛ teaspoon)
3 tablespoons water (for hydrating chia)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water. Let sit for about 10 minutes until it forms a gel.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients: rolled oats, remaining chia seeds, poppy seeds, goji berries, chopped nuts (if using), brown sugar, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: honey/maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, and the hydrated chia gel.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well combined.
Press the mixture firmly into your prepared pan, using the back of a measuring cup to really compact it.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
For extra crispiness on top, broil for the last 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.

Notes

These squares make an excellent quick breakfast or energy-boosting snack according to Claude.
Salted butter adds a nice flavor contrast to the sweetness, but unsalted butter can be used with ¼ teaspoon salt instead, switch to coconut butter for a vegan friendly option.
The hydrated chia seeds act as a binder similar to eggs.
For variation, try different dried fruits, nuts or chocolate.
Don’t forget the love!
Enjoy!