These bountiful beauties make a tempting breakfast treat, lunchbox item or after-school snack. Isn’t it nice when something so tasty happens to be filled with nutritious ingredients?
Bountiful Blueberry Bars Recipe
Ease Factor 2 | Makes 10 bars
Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons golden flaxseeds
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup Sucanat, brown sugar, or your preferred dry sweetener
• 2 heaping tablespoons blueberry preserves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup raw unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with unbleached parchment paper, leaving 3- to 4-inch “wings” on two opposite sides of the pan.
2. Put the flaxseeds in a high-performance blending appliance and process into very fine flour. Put the bananas, Sucanat (or brown sugar), blueberry preserves and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and mash with a potato masher or large fork into a chunky purée. Add the ground flaxseeds, oats and coconut; stir to combine. Gently fold in the fresh blueberries.
3. Spread the dough in an even layer in the prepared pan. Score into 10 bars using a table knife. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges. Put the pan on a heatproof surface. Using the parchment paper “wings” as handles, carefully lift the bars out of the pan in one piece. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Again, using the parchment paper “wings” as handles, transfer the bars to a cutting board and cut into 10 individual bars. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the bars will keep for 2 days.
Amount per serving, based on 10 servings: 145 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Saturated fat; 3g Protein; 6mg Sodium; 29g Total Carbohydrate; 12g Sugars; 4g Fiber
Recipe taken from Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease. Reproduced by kind permission of Laura Theodore.
Laura Theodore is a 2014 TASTE award-winning television personality, radio host, vegan chef, cookbook author and recording artist. She is author of Jazzy Vegetarian Classics: Vegan Twists on American Family Favorites and Jazzy Vegetarian: Lively Vegan Cuisine Made Easy and Delicious. Laura is the on-camera host, writer and co-producer of the popular cooking show, Jazzy Vegetarian and hosts the weekly podcast radio show, Jazzy Vegetarian Radio. Visit Laura on Facebook and follow her on Twitter for daily recipes and tips for serving delicious, plant-based meals.
