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Healthy Blueberry Coconut Bars (Hidden Veggie + Gluten-Free)

Name: Healthy Blueberry Coconut Bars (Hidden Veggie + Gluten-Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 free-range eggs (beaten); 1/4 cup honey; 1/3 cup coconut oil (plus some for greasing pan); 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 & 1/2 cups oats; 1 & 1/4 oat flour; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups blueberries; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/2 cup water; 3 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons chia seeds; 3/4 cup beet puree (instructions above); 1 & 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, shredded; 1 free-range egg white, yolk removed; 2 tablespoons honey

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These Healthy Blueberry Coconut Bars are the ideal quick and healthy way to start your and your family’s day (and no one will ever guess they’re packed with nutrient-dense beets).

These veggie-filled breakfast bars go far beyond just tasting pretty darn delicious. We’re happy to tell you that they’re made up of healthy fats, natural sweeteners, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They’re basically a well-rounded breakfast in dessert form. The fiber will keep you feeling full and prevent blood sugar spikes or crashes, all while satisfying your sweet tooth. The wholesome real food ingredients will have you and your family’s bodies and taste buds jumping for joy.

Top tips for prepping ahead (on your food prep day or the night before)

Pre-chopping, cutting or cooking ingredients really helps to reduce stress and simplify dinner on busy weeknights. We know, we know, we’re always talking about meal prep, but it truly is key to healthy eating!

Roast/soften and puree your beets. If you’re pinched for time and pureeing just isn’t in the cards, check the baby food aisle. Just remember minimal, recognizable ingredients. The only ingredients should be beets and possibly a small amount of salt.

Some reasons why we LOVE beets

These antioxidant powerhouses can:

Improve digestion
Fight inflammation
Support brain health
Regulate blood pressure
Fight off free radicals and improve the appearance of skin
Help detox and rid your body of chemicals and toxins more effectively
Basically, they ROCK!

How to puree your beets

Pureeing is MUCH more simple than it sounds. Basically, all you need is a steamer, pot or microwave to soften your veggies, a food processor or high-speed blender and a little water. We often make a big batch, pre-portion it in mason jars and store it in our freezer. That way we can use it as needed (trust us, this dish is so delicious our stash gets used pretty quickly) and simply replenish it whenever necessary.

Boiling on stovetop:

Buy a big bag of frozen, pre-chopped beets.
Put 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of a pot and bring to a boil.
Add your frozen beets and reduce heat to a simmer.
Loosely cover the pot with a lid and steam until they’re tender when pierced with a fork.
Let the beets cool, then put into the food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of liquid (water or cooking juices from boiling/steaming) to help the pureeing process, if necessary.

Roasting:

Place your beets on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can, but don’t have to, cover them with foil to lock in moisture.
Roast until tender.
Once your beets have cooled, puree in a food processor or blender.

Serve warm or chilled

You can serve your breakfast bars warm or chilled, depending on your and your family’s preferences. Both of us (Pam and Kalie) love them chilled. Our husbands love them slightly warmed in the microwave (about 25 seconds).

Freezer-friendly

The blueberry compote (as well as the breakfast bars themselves) are extremely freezer friendly. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you made these Healthy Blueberry Coconut Bars, please leave a comment below sharing how your picky eater responded to it. We love hearing from you and your ideas inspire us all!

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Bars (Hidden Veggie + Gluten-Free)

Author: hello@thespotmediagroup.com
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12 bars 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Breakfast (or even dessert) with hidden veggies works incredibly well when you use the right vegetables. Not convinced? Give these Healthy Hidden Veggie Blueberry Coconut Bars a try. They’re PERFECT for fussy eaters.

Instructions

Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan. Make the base by mixing all of the base ingredients together until well combined. Press firmly into the baking pan to form an even layer (we use the back of a wet spoon). Sit aside and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
While oven is preheating, in a medium saucepan add blueberries, lemon juice and enough water to cover 1/4 inch of pot. Allow blueberries to simmer on medium heat for 3-5 minutes; add honey. Continue simmering blueberries, stirring frequently and mashing the blueberries with a fork or the back of a spoon as they cook down. Continue to simmer, mash and cook down blueberries until almost all of the water has evaporated (approximately 20-30 minutes). The more the water evaporates, the more frequently you will need to stir. When blueberries are completely mashed and have reached a syrupy consistency, remove from heat. Stir in chia seeds and beet puree.
While blueberries are simmering, bake base until lightly browned at the edges but not fully baked, about 15 minutes. Remove base from the oven.
Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked layer. If the blueberry compote and the base aren’t done at the exact same time, that’s okay. Set aside until the other is ready. Both hold well so there’s no need to stress!
For the coconut topping, whisk together the egg and honey. Mix in the shredded coconut. Spread the coconut mixture over the blueberry layer.
Bake until topping is slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool before cutting into 12 bars. This allows the blueberry compote to set and the beet flavor to subside. Enjoy warm or (our personal favorite) serve for breakfast the following morning chilled.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

If you’re a huge fan of coconut, you can increase the coconut flakes from 1 & 1/4 cups to 1 & 1/2 or 2 cups. We’ve tried it both ways, depending on who we’re serving it to.

Use gluten-free ingredients, if necessary.

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Always check for FfL-friendly ingredients.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Category: Recipes
Method: Prep Now, Cook Laterb

Keywords: Blueberry Coconut Bars, Hidden Veggie

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