I find Chai tea to be very soothing, and drinking it usually puts me in a good mood. The Chai spices bring back some happy memories: the cardamom reminds me of my grandmother baking pulla (Finnish sweet bread) as my sister and I lick the spoons, while cinnamon and ginger carry the anticipation of Christmas.
Unfortunately, I rarely have the time (or make the time) to sit down to enjoy a warm breakfast, so I thought I would make an on-the-go version of one of my favourites. These oat bites combine the spices of Chai tea with crisp apples, roasted hazelnuts and maple drizzled oats – I called these ‘mini flapjacks’ but they’re really more like a combination between a flapjack and a cookie.
Rolled oats (gluten-free), 110g (not the quick-cooking ones)
Oat flour, 25g
Coconut oil, 2.5 tbsp (melted)
Maple syrup, 1.5 tbsp
Almond butter, 1.5 tbsp
Coconut sugar (or raw cane sugar), 0.5 tbsp (up to 1 tbsp if you’re like Michael and prefer it sweeter)
Almond milk, 2 tsp
Salt, a pinch
Apple, ⅓ big one, chopped in small cubes (about 0.5 cm side)
Hazelnuts, 10g, roasted and chopped
Cardamom (remove the husk and pulverize the seeds with a mortar and pestle)
Orange peel, grated
Ginger, grated
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Mix all the dry ingredients. Add the Chai spice mix.
Add the coconut oil and maple syrup.
Add the apple pieces and the hazelnuts.
Add the milk and the almond butter.
Mix, wrap the bowl in cling film and fridge for 45 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Press the dough in your hands to form 8 to 10 small balls (you may need to press the dough quite firmly), and flatten them onto a piece of parchment paper.
Bake for about 15 minutes (depending on the oven, this may be too much: it’s best if you check after 10 minutes).
