Ugly But Delicious Oat Slice

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It ain't pretty but this oat slice is simple, buttery and budget-friendly. Perfect for lunchboxes or a nice cuppa. Put your feet up, this one's easy.

Course: Afternoon Tea, Snack

Diet: Vegan

Servings: slices

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

Equipment

9x9" baking pan

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

½ cup vegan butter melted and then cooled (125g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup apple sauce 130g
½ cup raw sugar or brown for a more caramel flavour, 125g

Dry Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour 113g
¾ cup wholemeal flour 113g
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5g
2 teaspoon baking powder 10g
1 cup rolled oats 100g
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cup desiccated coconut 55g
½ cup sultanas approx 80g

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 170℃ (340℉) and line a 9x9" baking pan.
Add the butter, sugar and vanilla to a saucepan and gently melt together over low-medium heat. The sugar doesn't need to be completely dissolved, but we want the butter nice and melty.
Remove from the heat and add the apple sauce and give it a good whisk. Set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients, except the sultanas, to a medium-large mixing bowl.
Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until almost combined and then throw in the sultanas and fold them through.
Transfer the mixture to the lined baking pan and press down firmly to level and compact.
Pop in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-minutes before slicing into bars.
Cool the bars completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Ingredients Notes:

Vegan buttery spread. Using butter gives this oat slice shortbread vibes.

Raw sugar. I always use raw sugar in my cooking, but you could also use brown.

Two flours. Yes, I know - it's a pain in the butt. But adding whole flour to the recipe adds fibre and a little nuttiness. You can just use all-purpose flour, if you like.

Apple sauce. Besides adding sweetness, the pectin in apple sauce helps to hold the slice together. I use it in my vegan vanilla cupcakes and it binds like a dream.

Desiccated coconut. Use the smaller desiccated coconut flakes rather than shredded coconut. Small flakes are best here to help with binding.

Dried fruit. I pretty much always use sultanas in this slice, but you could swap them out for currants, chopped dried apricots or any dried fruit you like.

Nutrition