Apple Butter Breakfast Bars

Today I'm sharing part 3 of my apple theme week, which includes one of my favorite foods: apple butter. Apple butter has been one of my favorites since I was little, I remember my grandmother giving us cottage cheese with a huge dollop of apple butter on top for a snack, so good.

These apple butter breakfast bars give me that warm fuzzy feeling the same way the apple cinnamon muffins do. They're sweet with a bit of a streusel-like crunch and a layer of warm apple butter in the middle.

I under-baked my bars a bit because I wanted them to be a little gooey from the apple butter on the inside, with just a slight crunch from the oats on top.

Apple Butter Breakfast Bars
Author: Herbivore Haven
Makes: 16 bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup apple butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add the softened butter and beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low until mixture is crumbly.
4. Spread about 2 cups of the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
5. Spread the apple butter evenly over the oat mixture.
6. Spread the remaining oat mixture evenly over the apple butter layer and gently press the mixture down into the pan with your hands.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
8. Keeping the bars on the foil, remove the bars from the pan to a cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Cut into bars. You should get about 16 bars. Enjoy!