Today I got for YOU delicious black pepper & balsamic strawberry healthy bars, that are aromatic, rich, and mildly spicy . They are nutritious, vegan , gluten-free and refined sugar-free too!
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It has been a while since I posted on the blog regularly, while I’m working on other opportunities in life, the blog always wins. Some said tiktok, and Instagram is better way to share content, and got a wider audience. I’m not into that but favor for written posts, in a way to show beautiful dishes with some nutrition benefits and tips-.. YOU my readers had supported me all the way since ten years ago, and still follow my posts, and I will always show the best for YOU
This recipe is really easy to follow and make on any day. You can make it, slice it, and freeze it for later. Or serve it on breakfast for your family. I used real maple syrup, because it has an amazing flavor and pair well with strawberry. However, if you are not vegan, I would strongly recommend using honey, as the aroma of honey compliments strawberry very well. Also, you can use vegan butter instead of coconut oil, and can make the oatmeal base hold better, but you will need less amount than what is written down in the recipe. Just to know, coconut oil is more natural and has an amazing flavor too especially unrefined one.
Oatmeal
Is a staple grain in our house. It is affordable, has good amounts of protein, fibers and rich in B vitamins, lowers cholesterol and goes with every flavor you can think of! Sweet like Hazelnut Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Bars and savory like this Cheesy Baked Oatmeal with Vegetables . So ya TODAY we have another recipe with oatmeal. its very easy to make, but require baking, so if you think now its hot, you can save it for later. While it is not optimal to turn on the oven in the summer, but believe me baking transfer the meal to the next level. If you can’t handle the heat, then you can have fresh salad
I made lots of oatmeal recipes on the blog and some of good strawberry ones, but not strawberry with oatmeal in form of healthy bars .
Why these strawberry Healthy Bars
- It has vitamin C more than you need in a day! Also, it’s a good source of magnesium, and folate.
- The real health benefits are coming from antioxidants like antohcyanin, flavonoids.
- It lowers cholesterol This study found that, the more strawberries you eat, the more antioxidants your body absorb.
- And it may help prevent esophageal cancer too.
- It has Protein which is 6g per cup, and moderate in calories which is around For the vitamins, it has good amount of Vitamin E and many B Vitamins composition, and it’s high in Fibers
Note: be aware that these healthy bars are high in calories and sugar, even when they are not refined, they are still sugar. so 1 piece is a serving at time, don’t be tempted, because they are really good. You can boost the nutrition of these bars by adding:
- 1 Tb of Chia, or flax hemp seeds
- 1 tsp of maca, or moringa powder
- You can add nuts to oatmeal base. But the balance may got affected, you may need to adjust the quantity of liquid.
For more deep flavor for the vinegar, melt 20g of dark chocolate and add it to the vinegar
Now give it a try and let me know how you like it, and tag #Nutrizonia , I would love to see you creation 🙂
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Black pepper & Balsamic Strawberry Healthy Bars
Ingredients
- Base:
- oatmeal 200g (gluten free if needed)
- oat flour* 80g
- coconut oil 200g
- real maple syrup 100g
- Strawberry layer
- Fresh or frozen strawberry (400g )
- Cornstarch 20g
- Balsamic vinegar 656g
- Real maple syrup 100g
- Black pepper
- Garnish (optional)
- Dried oregano
- Dried or fresh thyme
- Grated coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F, 175 C .
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients of oatmeal base and make sure its sticking together like a dough.
Spread the oatmeal base in a 8*8 pan , with parchment paper like the photo in the post. By a back of spoon, cover all corners, and press on the oatmeal to make sure its even layer.
Now put the pan in the oven for 8-10 minutes , until its golden**.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in balsamic vinegar, add black pepper (freshly coarse ground not powder) and set aside.
In a medium pot on medium to high heat, add strawberry and maple syrup in the pot.
Let the strawberry boil and start to thicken, then add balsamic vinegar boil, let it simmer all together for few minutes, then pour in a clean bowl and let it cool
pour the strawberry compote onb the oatmeal layer, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper if desired, and put the pan in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, when the strawberry layer is set but little bit jiggly.
wait 10-15 minutes, then remove carefully from the pan by hold the parchment paper up, slice with serrate knifes, while cleaning the knife after each slice.
Enjoy warm or cold, you can keep the rest in airtight container on the counter.
For optimum freshness , keep the bars in the freezer up to 1 month.***
Notes
* You can buy oat flour, or make your own at home by using powerful grinder.
**You can skip baking the oatmeal layer, a nd move to baking both layers together.
*** You can also wrap each slice by plastic wrap then put in a zipper bag in the freezer, so you can have a quick snack on the go.
