Saturday, July 7, 2012

Coconut oatmeal bars

UPDATE
***This recipe has been updated and posted on my new site http://www.ronilynnfitness.com/blog/recipe-homemade-coconut-bobos-bars****

As I promised, I have an awesome recipe finally!
For the past couple weeks, I have been experimenting with a particular oatmeal bar recipe; I've been trying to imitate Bobo's Oat Bars. 
If you've never tried these puppies, go get some NOW! They are by far my favorite oatmeal bar and they are made right next to my hometown in Boulder, CO! It can't get much better than that!
http://bobosoatbars.com/wp-content/pluscache/gplus/gplus-leaf-40-post-5-image-gpimg3.jpgThe bars are thick and chewy and incredibly satisfying. They also have a ridiculous amount of flavors, so you can choose the right one for your mood. From lemon poppy-seed, to strawberry, to chocolate!

The problem is, Bobo's Bars are kind of expensive for a girl on a tight budget, so I've been trying to make my own!
And I think I've done a pretty good job at creating something similar.

So without further adieu, here are my Imitation Coconut Bobo Bars.

Here's what you need (makes 6 bars):
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
scant 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 scoop (12oz) vanilla protein powder (optional)
scant 2/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 Tbsp water (reduce to 2 Tbsp if not using protein)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Mix all the ingredients together, starting with the dry and then adding the wet. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper (or oil VERY well) and press the mixture into the pan. Press it down very firmly! Bake for 25-30 minutes, but don't let the edges brown too much. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then take another sheet of parchment paper and press the mixture down again.
It's important to press the bars so that they stick together better.
Let the bars cool and harden COMPLETELY before cutting and removing. Otherwise, you will have a crumbly, sticky mess. Then wrap each bar individually and store in the fridge for best results.




Notes:
The signature taste of the Bobo Bars comes from the brown rice syrup, but if you prefer honey or agave, I'm sure either would work fine. With agave, you may need to reduce the amount because of the thinner texture.
Also, I choose to use coconut oil because I prefer it, but I'm sure any oil type would work, although they may contribute a different flavor.

These bars are really close to the real thing, although not quite as thick and there's maybe a little something missing, they are still very good and satisfying!


Enjoy!

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for the recipe! I'm obsessed with BoBo's bars!!! I just made these but adjusted it a little and they are deeelicious!!

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    1. How did you adjust them?? We love them too so I'd love to hear! Thanks!

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  2. I am obsessed with the coconut ones as well. I made this recipe today but used maple syrup instead of the brown rice syrup. They are really good!

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  3. I am so excited about this........thank you thank you.

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  4. I've made these 3 times so far this week. We love them! I cut down on the syrup to about 1/2 cup. Definitely better not overcooked. Nice and chewy like Bobo's. Thanks so much for sharing this!

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  5. I have made these so much that I decided to try another grain along with the oats. Try subbing 1 cup of oats for a cup of flaked barley, I too also thought it tasted good with just a 1/2 cup of sweetener.

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  6. THANK YOU!
    I buy these bars a couple of time a week from the school book store, and it will be wonderful to save some money.

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  7. I bought my first Bobo bar last week at WF's and loved the taste and texture. but I agree they are expensive to do on the regular. So I searched to see if anyone tried to make these and came upon this blog! I baked them last night, but used agave since that's what I had on hand and they turned out great. not quite Bobo's though but real close :-) I also placed the oats in the food processor for a bit first to get a more flour like consistency. I will try the brown rice syrup next time. Thanks for the awesome recipe.

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  8. Thanks for the recipe. We love Bobo Bars but also buy them infrequently because of the price. This is Great!!

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  9. I have made these many times and, even though this is an old post, I'd just like to say I love these! I use Isopure coconut protein and honey plus, I double the amount of shredded coconut. Unlike others, it seems I like mine a bit over baked like a crunchy cookie! I use it for my yogurt topping at night too :)

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  10. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

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  11. Curious, how long would these last outside of the fridge? I am thinking of making a bunch for a camping trip, but don't want them to go stale on us.

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    1. I have baked these bars several times and they seem to follow the "fresh baked cookie rule" after 3 days they start to get stale sitting out on the counter top. But they are still edible, just a little drier. I would compress the bars extra if you are taking them camping so they don't fall apart. I use a spoon to compress them before baking and when they come out of the oven.

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  13. I have baked these bars many times (considered hiking long distance with them) and this is the new recipe I came up with after several generations and much trial and error. These bars seem closer to the bobo bars

    1/8 C coconut oil
    1/2 C brown rice syrup
    1 C rolled oats
    1 C pulverised rolled oats
    1 C pulverised unsweetened coconut
    1 TBL spoon of wildflower honey (optional)
    2 TBL spoon raw hemp seed (optional)
    2 TBL spoon Sunflower Lecithin (to keep moisture)
    1 teaspoon almond extract
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 pinch salt

    Mix wet ingredients first then add dry-mix well

    I bought a pan that is divided into sections to make actual square bars which eliminates the soft gooey middle problem of baking it all together in one pan. Grease each section with tiny amount of coconut oil, add ingredients and press firmly with a spoon to get the "dense Bobo bar" effect.

    Bake @ 350 for 10-11 min. Set aside to cool, then once handleable flip pan upside down onto cutting board to remove "Bobo bars" -Enjoy!

    For storing options

    At Home: Let cool completely then store in air tight container, they start tasting stale after about 3ish days on the countertop.

    For trail: cool completely then use a vacuum seal to seal bars individually. I tested the product at 1, 2 and 3 months of keeping it vacuum sealed at room temperature. All bars were a little dry, but edible. Hope this helps :)

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    1. Ive been doing this recipe and cooking them in muffin tins. It works great. I get 11 out of a batch and find they are done at the 12 minute mark but they don't seem like they are done. Trust me they are. Then I take a knife and just flip them up to cool

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  14. My girlfriend LOVES Bobo bars and since they are so expensive, we gave this recipe a try. The bars turned out similar, but much better, IMO. They were moist, soft and flavorful. Thanks so much for posting!

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  15. So happy to find this recipe. The Bobo's we get out east seem stale from the get-go, but still delicious albeit too expensive. Excited to have found a way to bake at home.THANK YOU!

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