Healthy Blueberry Bars

Step 1

Measure the frozen blueberries into a bowl and let them sit on the counter while proceeding with the recipe.

Step 2

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving extra on 2 sides to act as handles to remove bars (alternately, you can grease the pan and cut the bars in the pan).

Step 3

Chop nuts for the topping: add them to the bowl of a food processor and whir until fine. Scrape into a small bowl for later.

Step 4

Into the food processor, measure 1 cup of the rolled oats and whir until fine to make oat flour, about 15 seconds. To the oat flour add the almond flour and salt and pulse a couple times to mix.

Step 5

Add the dates to the mixture in the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add butter or oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and egg. Process about 15 seconds until mixture starts to come together. Add remaining 3/4 cup of oats and pulse about 10 times to mix.

Step 6

Toss the thawing blueberries into processor and pulse a few times. The mixture will turn purple in areas, but should still have some whole berries remaining.

Step 7

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down to spread evenly. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and press lightly down to help adhere to the bars.

Step 8

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until just starting to brown around the edges. Place pan on a wired rack to cool completely before cutting (or set in the freezer for about an hour to hurry it along).

Step 9

Cut the bars into 16 regular square bars or cut once down the middle and then the opposite way 6 times to create 12 longer bars.

Step 10

Store in the fridge for 1 week and freeze for up to 3 months.