Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars

I recently made coconut ice cream which called for a massive quantity of egg yolks.  Tonight I found myself staring at the bowl of leftover egg whites, wondering what to do with them beyond an omelet.  Add to that quandary some leftover coconut and I was in a true puzzle.  By good fortune, I stumbled upon a recipe at a blog recommended by a friend and used the recipe for Low-Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie Bars as a springboard for my own version.

Admittedly, my version is not quite low in fat.  With significantly less oatmeal, slightly more eggs, and a smorgasboard of mix-ins, these Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars are more of a mid-afternoon snack and less of a healthy treat.  But the clearly discernable whole wheat flour in every bite easily fools me into believing that I’m eating something good for my body.  Join me in the illusion.  The delectable taste, however, isn’t fiction!

Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated white sugar
5 egg whites
2 tbs whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
¾ cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips  
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the oats, flour, baking soda, chocolate chips, almonds and coconut in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In another large bowl mix the oil, brown and white sugars, egg whites, milk, vanilla and salt until very thoroughly combined.

Add the oat mixture to the egg mixture.  Stir gently, just until combined.  Pour into a greased 9x9 inch baking pan.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until done.  Cool, slice  and enjoy!