Toddler Breakfast Bars (PB & J)

Peanut butter and jam is a classic for a reason - it hits every time. These toddler-friendly peanut butter and jam bars turn that classic duo into a tasty, nourishing healthy breakfast bar recipe that's perfect for busy mornings or after-school snack time. If you're looking for toddler breakfast bars that can be made ahead and loved by the whole family, these are it.

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With nostalgic flavours we love just as much as our kids do, these toddler breakfast bars are just as delicious as they are nutritious and can be served throughout the day - for breakfast, snacks, dessert, and even as part of a balanced lunch. 

We'll often bake these bars in the afternoon when our big kids are at school. Our younger kids love to measure, pour, and stir alongside us (and see the chia berry compote magically thicken up!) and it gives us a nourishing after-school snack that's ready-to-go when the school kids come home starving. Then we pop them in the fridge and serve them again for breakfast when time is short. Win win win!

Key ingredients:

Berries

Fresh or frozen raspberries are our favorite to use here, but if you've got blueberries or mixed berries they will work too! No matter the kind, the berries will add fibre, antioxidants, and some natural sweetness to the berry chia compote. 

Chia seeds

These tiny nutrition powerhouses (hello fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids!) turn the chia jam into the glue that holds these bars together. 

Orange juice

Orange juice adds a bit more sweetness to the chia berry compote which is more like a jam and cuts some of the tartness from the berries. You can leave this out if you don't mind a bit of tartness or you can add a teaspoon of sugar instead!

Smooth peanut butter

Smooth peanut butter is key to making tasty peanut-forward bars that won't crumble in little hands. It adds some plant-based fat and protein too and offers a repeat exposure to peanuts (a top priority allergen). 

Granulated sugar

A bit of sugar goes a long in these bars. To keep these bars toddler-friendly we kept them as low-sugar as possible without compromising on flavour. Our 'sugar philosophy' is to keep our kids' core foods low in sugar so that they have room in their "sugar bank" for desserts!

Eggs

The three eggs in this recipe keep these bars from crumbling apart and are another reason these bars are full of nutrition your little ones need.  If your toddler is currently on an egg strike, these healthy breakfast bars are a great way to keep up the exposure. Bonus points if you bring your toddler into the kitchen to help you make them!

Oat flour

Oat flour adds some whole grain goodness (fibre!) and is key to making healthy oat bars with the perfect 'chew'.

Oat flour can be found at most grocery stores in the baking section, but can easily be made at home. You simply blend whole oats (quick or large flake, NOT steel-cut) until they are the texture of a whole wheat flour (it will have a little grit).  Making it at home is our preference as it takes two minutes and prevents an extra trip to the store.

In our experience 1 cup of whole oats will yield about ¾ cup of oat flour. With this ratio in mind, you would need to blend about 2 ⅔ cup of whole oats to get the 2 cups of oat flour needed for this recipe. 

Quick cooking oats

Another form of oats that add to the fibre content and texture of these bars. We don't recommend substituting with other types of oats - they will end up too crumbly.

While you've got those oats try our strawberry cheesecake overnight oats for toddlerss - another make-ahead toddler-friendly breakfast recipe that's quick and easy.

Allergen information and substitutes

This toddler breakfast recipe contains peanuts and eggs, which are both top priority allergens. If you need to avoid peanuts, another nut butter (like almond) or sunflower seed butter can be used instead. If you're avoiding all nuts give our banana porridge fingers a try - it's another low-sugar, make ahead breakfast (or snack) recipe that's nut-free.

For the eggs you could try using an egg substitute, although we guess the bars would end up more crumbly. 

At Happy Healthy Eaters, we share the most current allergen guidance inside our Start Solids Confidently video lessons.

How to make these healthy toddler breakfast bars

The full recipe is below and we strongly encourage you to watch the video to understand how to make the layers (there's flipping involved!), but here are a few key steps to visualize the process.

1. Make the chia berry compote and let it rest in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes until it has set and is a jammy consistency.

2. Add the peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until well combined.

3. Add in the oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.

4. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Press a little more than half the dough into the pan. Remove the parchment and dough, set aside. This will be the top half of your bars

5. Place a second piece of parchment paper in the pan. Press the remaining dough into the pan. Spread the chia berry compote on top evenly.

6. Flip the first dough you prepared on top of the jam layer (like a sandwich) and carefully peel back the parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Serving suggestions for each age & stage

6-12 months: Even though these bars are relatively low-sugar, they do have a little bit of added sugar (from the granulated sugar and orange juice).  That's why we recommend holding off offering them to babies under 12 months. 

Instead try our breakfast recipes that are free of added sugar and better suited for babies like fruit pouch pancakes for babies or one bowl banana waffles for babies and toddlers.

For more on all things babies and sugar (including the nuance) head over to our comprehensive post.

12 months +: For toddlers you can cut the bars into bite size pieces, finger size strips, or even a larger square piece as long as their little hands can still pick it up. The size and shape will depend on your child's unique ability. 

For the rest of the family: We love to eat these bars in a brownie-esque size square or a granola bar-ish rectangle. Same with our big kids. 

As we've mentioned, there are many options for serving these bars. They are truly so versatile. 

We love them for breakfast as they are generally low sugar and offer fibre for sustained energy and fullness, making them a healthy breakfast bar recipe you can feel good about serving your kids. In the morning they are fabulous with a glass of milk and some fresh berries on the side.

If you're serving them as an after school snack feel free to serve them on their own! They're a balanced snack as-is. For another fun toddler snack, try our chocobananos recipe!

Play + books that match this recipe

When kids get the chance to interact with "food " during playtime, they become more comfortable with the food, and are more likely to want to eat it at mealtimes! Here are some options to include berries during play and story time.

Full of nostalgic flavours and packed with nutrition, these peanut butter and jam bars are toddler breakfast bars we hope your kids - and you - will love. Make a batch ahead, stash some in the fridge or freezer, and you'll have a quick, tasty, and nourishing option ready for busy mornings*, after-school cravings, or anytime hunger strikes. A little prep now means big rewards later - for you and your little ones!

Speaking of busy mornings, have you started using our visual breakfast planner with your toddlers? This has been a game changer in our households! Having a schedule (ie: knowing what to expect) helps our kids to relax and be on board with our breakfast plans. And since toddlers and preschoolers can't read it, using images is even more helpful! We created a plug-and-play breakfast planner for you to sit down and co-create a menu with your kids!

More toddler breakfast recipes

If you tried these healthy breakfast bars recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Toddler Breakfast Bars (PB & J)

Peanut butter and jam is a classic for a reason - it hits every time. These toddler-friendly peanut butter and jam bars turn that classic duo into a tasty, nourishing healthy breakfast bar recipe that's perfect for busy mornings or after-school snack time.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Author: Jessica Penner & Nita Sharda

Ingredients

For the Jam:

• ▢ 3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• ▢ 2 tablespoon orange juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon chia seeds

For the Dough:

• ▢ 1 ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups oat flour
• ▢ 1 cup quick cooking oats
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the chia berry jam:

• Place frozen fruit into a medium sized pot. Add in orange juice.
• Turn heat to medium and bring mixture to a gentle simmer. When this happens, use a potato masher to muddle the fruit to your desired consistency.
• Remove pot from heat and add in chia seeds. Mix really well so that the chia seeds are evenly dispersed.
• Wait about 30-45 minutes, you'll notice that the mixture will begin to thicken.

Make the bars:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Add the peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl.
• Using a hand mixer, mix until well combined.
• Add in the oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine.
• Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Press a little more than half the dough into the pan. Remove the parchment and dough, set aside. This will be the top half of your bars.
• Place a second piece of parchment paper in the pan. Press the remaining dough into the pan.
• Spread the chia jam on top.
• Flip the first dough you prepared on top of the jam layer (like a sandwich) and carefully peel back the parchment paper.
• Bake for 25- 30 minutes in the preheated oven (until lightly browned on top).
• Allow to cool completely before cutting. Cut into 16 pieces.
• Store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

FRUIT: Our favourite is raspberry, but we've also tested the recipe with saskatoons, blueberries, and mixed berries. 

OAT FLOUR: Oat flour is available in most grocery store baking aisles, but it’s easy to make at home. Simply blend whole oats (quick or large flake, not steel-cut) until they reach a flour-like texture.  For this recipe, blend about 2⅔ cups of oats to get the 2 cups of oat flour you need.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg

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