Baked Blueberry Nut Bars




Having a little summer break before I start my new job has really been nice.  I can't wait to start working & putting everything I've learned into action (while learning lots more!), but I'm also enjoying my time off & trying to allow myself to kick back a little.  I can be pretty 'Type A', so it's not always easy for me to appreciate my down time.  


I do think this down time will be good for my blog though!  It's awesome having the time to get creative with new recipes, and having an in-home taste tester to try them all out for me :)

My most recent creation was these baked bars.  They started out with a mixture that I pulsed in the food processor- with the intentions of coming up with some sort of Larabar.  Then, I got a craving for baked goods- so I added butter & banana, and popped these in the oven.  So glad I did.  They are seriously amazing. 

These bars would be perfect as a morning snack with coffee.  I also packed these in Dathan's lunch for a work snack- just as good!  They would be great for kids' lunches since they taste like a chewy cookie bar :)

The buttery flavor, soft & crunchy cookie texture, and hint of blueberry go so perfectly together- you will not be disappointed!  Plus, they smell heavenly!!!  They also taste great both warm AND cooled in the refrigerator.  

Okay, I could go on and on... Just give them a try! ~


Just a Tip:  Buy your raw cashews in the "pieces" rather than whole!  They are much cheaper & just as good when you are going to smash them up anyway :)

Ingredients:

  • 12 pitted dates
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 3 Tbsp butter, melted (you could also try coconut oil)
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

 Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the dates, cashews, almonds, banana and shredded coconut until the nuts are broken into small pieces.
  3. Add the melted butter & a pinch of sea salt, and pulse again until the mixture is combined.
  4. Stir in the blueberries until evenly distributed, and transfer to an 8" or 9" baking dish lined with parchment paper (see picture above).
  5. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
  6. Allow to cool completely, then remove from the dish by pulling up on the parchment paper.
  7. Slice into 12 or 16 bars, and serve!  
Store in the refrigerator.  




post signature

12 comments:

Julie B said...

I miss having you try out your new creations at home... These look yummy!

Jessie B said...

You would love them Mom! I wanna come home & make them for you!

Jenny said...

These look amazing! I've been waiting for more of your Larabar recipes so I was intrigued with this one. Especially since I just picked blueberries today! Do they get folded in at the end?

Jessie B said...

@Jenny Yes they do, sorry I missed that step- thanks for catching it!! I hope you love them! & I will get on some new Larabar recipes soon too :)

Jenny said...

Ok, thank you! They're in the oven now. :-) And if you're taking votes on flavors, I vote for the Lemon Larabar!

Jessie B said...

Ooh good idea! That's one of my favorites!! :)

Jenny said...

These were a HUGE hit last night after dinner. My husband and sons loved them. They each had 3 bars. So much for leftovers! Thanks for all the great recipes!

Jessie B said...

Yay! That made my morning Jenny :) SO glad they were a hit!! Mine didn't last long either!

Anonymous said...

These look awesome! Can't wait to make them. By the way, what are you pursuing your Master's degree in? Congratulations on being almost finished!! It's amazing how you juggle this blog along with studying and all the stresses of life...truly an inspiration!

Jessie B said...

That's so nice of you to say... thank you! I actually just graduated in May, with my Master's in Speech Language Pathology- to be a speech therapist!

Thank you again for the nice comment, I hope you love the bars if you make them! :)

Rudi said...

I made these tonight and loved the taste! however mine all fell apart :( any suggestions?

fally jonesh said...

The article you have shared here very awesome. I really like and appreciated your work. I read deeply your article, the points you have mentioned in this article are useful.
Henry Stickman Series
Friv Pro