Baking – How to reduce the sugar in this oatmeal bar recipe

baking

I made this recipe for oatmeal bars, following the instructions with just a couple changes. Although they turned out well, I would like to reduce the sugar content while still preserving the texture of the bars. They are currently somewhat dense and a bit crumbly but still hold together, and I'd like them to either stay that way or be lighter and less crumbly. What changes could I make to achieve this?

Here is specifically what I did:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (Jif)
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins cooked in 5 tbsp water, including water
  • 4 tbsp whole milk plus enough more to make the dough hold together

Mixed everything together and baked in a greased 9×13 glass pan in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Best Answer

You could try putting some medjool dates in a food processor then grinding them down into a powder! Lots of vegan and paleo recipes use dates instead of sugar as a healthier and less sweet option.