We are currently experiencing a polar vortex in the Midwest. It’s way too cold to set foot outdoors, so I had fun making these blueberry bars yesterday with simple ingredients I already had on hand.
If the kids are home from school, and you want a healthier replacement for conventional high-fat, high-sugar cookies, these blueberry bars are the perfect solution.
They are also great for Super Bowl parties, to share with a family who is welcoming a new baby, or teens on the go.
BLUEBERRY BARS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9” x 13” jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
Mix the following ingredients together in a large bowl:
5-6 cups rolled oats (start with 5 cups and increase only after adding the date paste below)
1 (10-ounce) package of unsweetened coconut flakes (optional*)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen blueberries (add last to ensure they don’t thaw)
Date paste
Mix the following ingredients together in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy:
1 (8-ounce) bag of pitted dates
1/2 cup natural peanut or almond butter
1/3 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds
2 apples (any variety)
2 ripe bananas
Create a well in the center of the ingredients in the mixing bowl and add date paste. Using clean hands, massage everything together until thoroughly saturated. (Start with only 5 cups of oats and gradually increase if the batter needs more.)
Press into the parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Allow to cool. Cut into bars.
Enjoy!
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* coconut adds a delightful, chewy texture
Note: Even though blueberries and nuts/seeds are full of life-giving nutrients, the bars aren’t low-calorie, so don’t eat more than one per day if you want to maintain weight. If you want to lose weight, reserve eating them only on special occasions.
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, lost 100 pounds more than fifteen years ago by eating an abundance of high-nutrient, plant-rich foods. Today, she’s certified in whole plant nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute. She’s on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense and cost-effective tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet. And now, she’s on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of eating disorders as well.