Sunday, September 27, 2015

Protein & Fiber Rich Blueberry Bars



This summer FLEW by for our family and fall has sneaked up on me like a ninja in the night. I didn't do HALF of what I had planned to this summer, but one thing I did do was go blueberry picking-- twice! So, my freezer has an abundance of blueberries.  

So although blueberry season is over, I wanted to share this new-favorite recipe I developed that uses blueberries (fresh or frozen!) and is full of healthy redeeming value. You can feel good about your family indulging in these puppies!


I had to hide away two of these bars to photograph soon after I made them because they were disappearing so fast! They were yummy right out of the oven, but also once they cooled.  They have a buttery, whole-wheat and oatmeal crust, a sweet, lemony tofu-based filling, and are topped with blueberries and more buttery wheat and oatmeal goodness. 

The whole wheat, oatmeal and blueberries provide a significant amount of healthy fiber, and the tofu adds a shot of protein that make these bars not only yummy, but pretty darn healthy for a delectable dessert! 

This was my first experience using tofu in a dessert. I was a bit apprehensive. I didn't tell my family what was in these until they had tried them.  I was THRILLED that they turned out so well and were so enjoyed! Win-Win!!

I made these at night and quickly snapped a picture of them right out of the oven.  Although it's a bit dark, I'm glad I did. This pan was attacked soon after this photo was taken.

Protein and Fiber Rich Blueberry Bars
Makes 32 bars

Ingredients
Crust and Topping:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened

Lemon Tofu Filling:
24 oz firm tofu, drained
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon extract

Blueberry Layer:
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10"x15" baking dish with aluminum foil.  Two 8"x 8" or  9"x 9" square dishes will work. Coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. In large mixing bowl, whisk wheat flour, powdered sugar and oatmeal together. Cut in softened butter until well incorporated (I used my cookie-dough paddles for cutting in the butter).  Reserve 2 scant cups of this mixture in a separate dish, and press the rest of it into the prepared pans. 
3. Using the same mixing bowl (no need to clean out the crumbs), beat the tofu, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and extract together. Mixture may seem chunky (no worries!).  Spread the tofu mixture evenly over the first layer.
4. Sprinkle sugar, lemon juice, and flour over the blueberries and mix gently. Spread the berries over the tofu layer. 
5. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over the top of the blueberries.  Place in center of oven. Bake 50-55 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 






2 comments:

  1. These look great. I love anything with blueberries:)

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  2. These sound yummy! I have a huge bag of frozen blueberries just begging to be made into something delicious and this recipe sounds perfect. Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!

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