My vegan sweet potato bars recipe is an easy and delicious way to start your day. They’re packed with quinoa, oats, and sweet potato, making them healthy and naturally gluten-free.
As we attempt to get back into the school and work routine, I know a lot of us are looking for some easy make-ahead breakfasts for on-the-go eating. If you’re tired of cereal and oatmeal, this sweet potato bars recipe was made for you. You won’t believe just how easy and tasty these are to make.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
These sweet potato bars are such an underrated meal prep. They’re so easy to make and you’ll absolutely love them. They’re also:
- Nutrient dense
- Kid-friendly
- Easy to pack
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Vegan-friendly
Key Ingredients
Sweet potatoes — Sweet potatoes are packed with fibre, minerals, and vitamins. They also help bind the bars together and provide a natural sweetness!
Oats — We use some old fashioned rolled oats to help bind the sweet potato bars as well. They’re packed with fibre as well.
Quinoa — Quinoa is high in protein and when combined into the bars, it can help you stay full throughout the morning!
Ground flaxseed – This is not only packed with heart healthy omega 3s, protein and fibre, but makes a vegan alternative to eggs when mixed with water.
Toppings — You can top these sweet potato breakfast bars however you’d like but I’m partial to some chocolate, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, dried cherries, and minced pistachios.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9 x 5 loaf pans with parchment and set aside.
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together the flax and water and set aside for 20 minutes.
Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together the oats, cooked quinoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 4: Mash in the sweet potato, almond butter, maple, flax egg (the flax and water mixture) and vanilla and mix until smooth. Then fold in the dried cherries and coconut.
Step 5: Transfer mixture to the two lined loaf pans and smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 6: Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes until sides brown.
Remove and let cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir in the almond butter and mix until very smooth. Drizzle or pipe onto the cut bars.
Expert Tips
You can totally get your kids involved with making this sweet potato bars recipe! Your kids can definitely help with mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, as well as mashing the sweet potato. Just make sure it has cooled well before they get mashing.
Some more topping ideas include whatever nuts and seeds in your pantry. Simply sprinkle them on top of your bars after you’ve drizzled chocolate on to it so they’ll stick to it.
To quickly cook your sweet potatoes beforehand, simply microwave it, steam it, bake it, or boil it. Skip adding salt to the sweet potatoes when you cook it as they is salt added to the sweet potato breakfast bars as well.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe can be baby and BLW friendly since it is so nutrient dense. If you want to cut back on the sugar, you can omit the maple syrup (it’s got enough sweetness from the sweet potato for a baby under 1), and also omit the chocolate. I would make sure that any nuts you add are pulverized and any dried fruit should be minced very fine.
I always freeze these. I recommend cutting them into pieces and freezing them on a baking sheet flat until solid (about 1 hour). Then you can transfer them to the freezer bag for up to 4 months.
I have never tried to use canned pumpkin, but you could attempt it, but know that it’s a bit more wet, so you may need a little more oats to soak it up. It is also less sweet so you may want to add more maple to balance that out.
Yes, you can omit the flax eggs (2 tbsp flax + 4 tbsp water) and instead use 2 large eggs.
I would recommend using sunflower butter or a soy based “nut” butter in place of the almond butter, and you can easily omit the pistachios on top.
As long as you use gluten free oats and baking powder, this sweet potato bars recipe is naturally gluten free.
More Recipes You Might Like
If you loved this sweet potato bars recipe, you’ll definitely love these other breakfast bars!
- Homemade Breakfast Bars
- No Bake Oatmeal Bars
- Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with Berries
- No Bake Cheerios Bars
What are some of your favourite breakfast bars for back to school? Leave me a comment with your thoughts!
Sweet Potato Bars (Vegan & Kid Friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon flaxseed ground + 4 tablespoon water
- 1 1/4 cup quick cooking oats dry
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 2 small sweet potatoes cooked (1 ½ cups mashed flesh)
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Top with :
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 3 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp minced pistachios
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
Drizzle:
- 1 tbsp mini choc chips
- ½ tsp coconut oil
- 1 ½ tbsp almond butter
- Maple syrup if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9 x 5 loaf pans with parchment and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flax and water and set aside for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, cooked quinoa, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Mash in the sweet potato, almond butter, maple, flax egg (the flax and water mixture) and vanilla and mix until smooth. Then fold in the dried cherries and coconut.
- Transfer mixture to the two lined loaf pans and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake on the center rack for 25 minutes until sides brown.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with the coconut oil in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir in the almond butter and mix until very smooth. Drizzle or pipe onto the cut bars.
- Store in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days.
Video
Notes
- You can totally get your kids involved with making this reicpe! Your kids can definitely help with mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, as well as mashing the sweet potato. Just make sure it has cooled well before they get mashing.
- Some more topping ideas include whatever nuts and seeds in your pantry. Simply sprinkle them on top of your bars after you’ve drizzled chocolate on to it so they’ll stick to it.
- To quickly cook your sweet potatoes beforehand, simply microwave it, steam it, bake it, or boil it. Skip adding salt to the sweet potatoes when you cook it as they is salt added to the sweet potato bars as well.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Maia says
Great yummy snack!
Heather says
Just made these tonight. They’re great, but it took easily twice the cook time to get the sides brown. Not the end of the world, just something to note! I modded the recipe by swapping the cherries for a dried berry mix. Thanks for the great gluten free recipe that will make for a nice change to my breakfasts and snacks for the next week!
Mumof2 says
My son loves these! So easy to make and he could help too! I served them to him for breakfast as well as a snack and he could not get enough!!