If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have been recipe testing these bars like a MANIAC! I definitely applaud bakers, because perfecting a baked recipe is far more difficult than a "cooked" recipe, in my opinion. I wanted to create these bars mainly for my boyfriend. He has been studying for the Series 7 test for work, and crazy study hours have left little time for healthy meals and snacks during the day. He is also a big fan of breakfast bars, since they are a perfect on-the-go option. So Yale, these are for you.

While these were made with blueberries, I think they would be JUST as delicious with any other seasonal fruit (or chocolate chips...just sayin'). I would love to make them again in a few weeks for peach season. Once you have the base down, you can pretty much substitute any fruit that goes inside them. Please let me know if you make these!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats or quick cook oats (not steel cut)
1/2 c cooked quinoa
1/4 c coconut sugar, date sugar or brown sugar
2 eggs (or one "flax egg")
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 medium mashed banana
1 tablespoon of almond butter (or whichever nut butter of your choosing)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 scoop Further Food Collagen Peptides* (optional)
1 cup fresh blueberries

*Interested in buying Further Food Collagen Peptides? Use my code HEALTHMASON for a discount on your order!!

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a baking dish with parchment paper. You want your bars to be about 1 inch thick, so choose a baking dish that will allow for your bars to be about that size. I chose an 8" glass baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, combine your oats, cooked quinoa, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and collagen. Mix until combined. **PRO TIP: If you are using rolled oats, I find that processing half of the dry mixture in a food processor can help the bars stick together. If you use quick cook oats or oats that are smaller in size, you should be good. But blending 1/2 of the oats into a rough flour consistency can help the bars stick!
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, vanilla and almond butter until combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add blueberries at the end and fold into the batter. I like to save a few blueberries to sprinkle on the top. Berries, and heavier ingredients, tend to sink to the bottom of a baked dish, so saving a few to put on top will help keep them balanced.
Place the batter in your parchment-lined dish and smooth with a spatula until the bars are of even thickness.
Bake the bars for about 30-35 minutes. If you stick a toothpick in the bars, there should not be any residual batter on the toothpick. If the bars still seem undercooked, give them 2-3 more minutes.
Enjoy!