Right now raspberries are in season in Oregon – likely in other places as well, so why not grab some organic raspberries and whip up a batch of tasty whole grain organic raspberry bars?
Benefits:
- No excess packaging – these fit nicely in a reusable container or reusable snack bag and can be packed in a school lunch or summer camp lunch.
- With homemade goodies vs. store-bought you control the preservatives, fake colors and the nutritional value.
- Versatile – you can make these with other seasonal berries when raspberries are not in season and even substitute frozen berries.
- These are fairly nutritious so far as homemade granola bar type snacks go. A little high in calories IMO, but not bad. I have this other organic granola bar recipe that I’ll post soon, and it’s fun, but not quite as healthy. This one is packed with whole grains. Plus these are tasty. My son liked them a bunch.
I adapted the following recipe from a real recipe sent to me by Driscoll’s Berries.
Raspberry filling ingredients:
- 6 oz fresh organic raspberries – or try another berry like blackberry (yum)
- 1/4 cup granulated organic sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh organic lemon juice
Bar ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups organic oats (tip – buy these in bulk – cheaper and less packaging)
- 3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup packed organic brown sugar
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 2 tablespoons flaxmeal – you don’t need the flax but it’s a healthy and tasty addition to almost anything. I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal
and add it to tons of stuff. Although, it’s actually healthier to grind your own flaxmeal from flax seed (I’m not that ambitious).
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup olive oil (lite). You can use canola or vegetable oil I just don’t buy them, I use olive oil for everything.
- 1 large organic egg
- OPTIONAL – 1/3 cup organic walnut pieces. I hate walnuts. I left them out and substituted more oats, a bit more wheat germ and a tad more flour.
Get started:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Grab a 9-inch square pan, one small saucepan and a bowl.
Make the raspberry filling:
Combine raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until sauce is thick and translucent. Remove from heat.
Make the bars:
- Combine oats, flour, sugar, (walnuts if you want), flaxmeal and cinnamon in a food processor or blender with grinding abilities. Process until oats and walnuts are finely ground.
- Add oil and egg; pulse to evenly combine, scraping sides of work bowl.
- Press half of the crumb mixture evenly on bottom of a 9-inch square pan. Spread raspberry filling evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs and pat down gently.
- Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool completely in pan. Cut into bars. For extra fun cut into cool shapes with thick cookie cutters, although then you will have some odd shaped parts to eat – good for the adults in the house.
Helpful Tips: Two minutes is the magic time it takes for cornstarch to thicken and turn clear – be sure to stir the fruit and cornstarch while simmering. Pressing the crumbs firmly into the pan and on top of the berry filling is important to make the bars hold together.
Nutrition Per Serving: 229 calories, 9.63g total fat, .94g saturated fat, 4.15g protein, 33.52g carbohydrate, 17.62mg cholesterol, 3.53g fiber, 10mg sodium
[Recipe image sent to me by Driscoll’s Berries]
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I made these over the summer with fresh peaches and they were really good – they tasted like a peach cobbler in bar form. Mine were way crumbly though, so I’m going to try to make them again and add an extra egg to hopefully help hold them together. My husband and I eat granola bars pretty frequently since we’re always out doing different activities, so it’s nice to have a homemade alternative. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m glad you liked them. Mine are always kind of crumbly too BTW. An egg might work to hold them together, that’s a good idea. We haven’t tried peach, but it sounds really good. I’ll have to post my other recipe for rice/granola bars – they’re more transport friendly than these bars.
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