Recipe of the Week

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups blackberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, divided
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature 
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• Pinch of salt
  

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line and square 8x8 dish with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a small bowl toss the blackberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. 
3. In a large bowl whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for 1 minute until smooth. Add one egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla, beat until combined. Add the oats, cinnamon, cornstarch, and baking soda. Mix until well combined.
4. Add all but 1 cup of the oat mixture to the square baking dish. Spread evenly throughout the dish and press firmly to create a crust.
5. In a separate medium bowl beat the cream cheese, yogurt and remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar together for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until combine. Pour the cheesecake layer over the oats, spread to evenly coat the crust.
6. Add the berries to the top of the cheesecake layer. Lastly, top with the remaining oats to create a crumble layer.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the oat bars in the dish for 1 hour.
8. After one hour, use the parchment paper edges to lift the bake from the pan. Move the entire thing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
9. Once the bake has completely cooled, slice into even squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. 
   

Notes

This can easily be made dairy-free. Simply swap out the butter, cream cheese, and yogurt for your favorite alternatives. You could use coconut oil and Kite Hill cream cheese and plain greek yogurt. 

Nutrition Information 

Servings: 12

Serving size: 1 bar

376 calories

20g Fat

43g Carbs

8g Protein