Oh Shine On

I’m hungry. I’m craving something sweet.

Luckily, I looked in the refrigerator and saw a gigantic tub of fresh blueberries. Most of them were on the verge of reaching their prime, so I decided what better way to use them than to bake them into a deliciously crispy, crumbly, cobbler-like treat?

Blueberries provide many key nutrients that promote a healthy lifestyle: they are rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin C, and provide benefits for vibrant eyes, a healthy brain, great skin, and are considered to be a major power food that wards of cancer. I see absolutely no downside to this fruit, just pure astonishment and satisfaction from one bite.

A word to the wise: while these bars are absolutely incredible warm, they tend to crumble at that temperature. If you’d prefer them as bars, wait until the batch has cooled completely before cutting. It is totally worth it! But… if you are impatient like me and just can’t simply imagine waiting for the bars to cool, crumble some of this deliciousness into some yogurt. Or, let’s be honest… if it’s me, vanilla ice cream.

A little bit of this,

a little bit of that,

and a lot of berries.

Pop it all into a bowl, stir a little around, bake it, and enjoy with mouthwatering pleasure, and without the guilt, of course!

Blueberry Crumble Bars

adapted from: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats.

1/4 cup whole wheat flour.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

1/4 cup brown sugar.

a pinch of salt.

1 tsp cinnamon.

1/2 cup yogurt butter.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

1 cup blueberries.

Preparation (makes 10 servings): Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rolled oats, flours, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl. Melt 1/2 cup butter and add it and the vanilla, to the oat mixture. Stir until moistened and fold in blueberries. Coat an 8×8-inch pan with cooking spray. Press batter into pan, using fingertips to solidify the bar mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes. Cut into 10 bars and serve.

Happy noming.

Nutritional information: 126 calories, 5g fat (1.4g sat, 1.1 mono, 2.6g poly), 18.5g carb, 2.3g protein