Hey….it is all about healthy eating these days isn’t it? I am on board for healthy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t step off the train and grab something that is considered NOT healthy. I mean, come on…life is too short to not enjoy a treat or two once in a while. Moderation is the key, remember?
While I absolutely love warm chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven and a cold glass of iced tea with a slice of lemon…I also love blueberries! And they are healthy!
Blueberries are a nutrition powerhouse, a superfood loaded with all kinds of nutrients and a fruit that has benefits unlike any other. Wanna hear more?
Perhaps you already know that blueberries have powerful antioxidant protection, and blueberries can improve nighttime vision, and WOW! do I need that assistance! It seems I feel more comfortable these days driving in the daytime, it isn’t that I can’t drive at night, I prefer not to and there is a difference. According to studies blueberries promote quicker adjustment to darkness and promote faster restoration of visual clarity after exposure to glare. OK! Bring on the blueberries!
According to the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, laboratory studies show a diet including blueberries may improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging or age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers have also identified a compound in blueberries that helps to reduce the risk of infection. Now, we are talking!
Sooooo, when I found this no-bake-easy-to-make granola bar recipe that called for blueberries, I said “Oh Yeah!”….”I am gonna make that right away.” And I did! And they are delicious! And they are healthy! A win win situation!
The neat thing is you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. I had recently purchased chia seeds (healthy, right?) and I have always had sunflower seeds on hand. I mean, you can’t watch a baseball game without peanuts and sunflower seeds can you? I mean, it just isn’t American… is it? By the way…the Kansas City Royals have their baseball game opener, day after tomorrow (Sunday, the 3rd of April at 8:30 pm) and I have to be ready with all my “good eats”. Oh, I wish I could be at the game, but watching on TV works for me!
But I digress, you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand and mix it all up and press it into a baking dish and pop it into the freezer (just until firm) and then eat those healthy blueberry granola bars. Yummy!
My dear readers…you gotta try this recipe. It is sooooooo delish! The printable recipe is below:
Have a great Friday!
Blessings And Hugs Always!
- 3 cups rolled oats with oat bran flakes
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup whole roasted mixed nuts, roughly chopped (I used almonds)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1 cup peanut butter (I like to use almond butter)
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries or 1 cup dried blueberries
- Melt the butter, honey and almond butter in a saucepan or you can microwave.
- Combine the oats, coconut, nuts, chia seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and salt (if using) in a bowl, mixing well.
- Add the honey mixture and combine
- Fold in the blueberries and the vanilla (mixture will be stiff)
- Press the granola mix firmly into a 8x8 square baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper (if you don't press the granola mixture with your fingers, the bars will fall apart when you cut them
- Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the bars are firm enough to cut, but not frozen.
- Remove from the pan and cut into bars.*
- * I like to wrap each sticky bar with parchment paper or brown butcher paper and tie with string...it is so much easier to pick one up and hit the ground running! (Paper towel works just a well)
- If using fresh blueberries, store in the fridge. If using dried blueberries, store at room temperature in an airtight container.
- If mixture is too sticky, add more oats.
Please comment, I'd love to hear from you.