Hold the phone because guess what?

1. I made blueberry apple pie bars. They are good. Trust me.
2. I got Photoshop and actually edited a photo!! Go, me!

I’m really glad to have finally gotten that (buying Photoshop) out of the way. I am a big under-buyer, even when it comes to other people’s money. So, when my mom and dad gave me a card for Christmas saying that it was good for the purchase of Photoshop for my computer, I waited way too long to actually get it, even though I totally wanted it! It’s because downloading it involved decisions, such as choosing between packages and plans, and that just makes it hard. Does anybody else feel this way about buying things? I just seriously hate wasting money, especially when it’s not mine!

As far as these delicious blueberry and apple bars: consider them the cousins of these strawberry oat bars 😉 That’s because I used the recipe for the strawberry bars for reference, but adapted it according to which groceries we ran out of personal creative flair. It’s no longer free of refined sugar, but it does have an extra punch of protein thanks to the almond flour, and it tastes like a chewy, rich cookie. Also, blueberries are pretty and I love them. Here’s the recipe:

Apple Blueberry Pie Bars

adapted from the Healthy Strawberry Oat Bars by Sally’s Baking Addiction

Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup blueberries*

1 cup peeled and finely chopped apple (this was 1 small-ish apple for me)

2 tbsp. corn starch

2 tbsp. warm water

Crust/Crumble Ingredients:

1 cup plus 1/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup unblanched almond flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup of nut butter**

1/4 cup applesauce

a pinch of salt***

Filling Process:

Mix together the blueberries, sugar, chopped apple, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil  over medium heat, stirring consistently until the blueberries release their juice. You may want to smash a few to aid the process along. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and warm water until smooth. Once the blueberry mixture is boiling, remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Set aside.

Crust Process:

Preheat oven to 325º F. Then, dump everything in a pan and mix! Mix really, really well. It’s pretty thick and sticky, so just consider it your arm workout for the day. Line an 8-by-8 inch pan with parchment paper and press the dough (leaving behind about 1/2 cup for the crumble) into the pan. Press really firmly! Once it’s even, pour the filling on top, and crumble the rest of the dough on top with your fingers. Bake for 29 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Yield: 12-16 bars

Notes:

* I used frozen blueberries. I haven’t made these with fresh, but I’m pretty sure it would be fine.

** I really like to use 1/2 cup almond butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter. It gives them a more complex flavor, and it keeps the peanut butter from being overwhelming.

***I actually did not use a pinch of salt in the dough, but my nut butters contained salt. Use according to your own preference.

I love these bars, and my friends do, too. If you make these, please let me know what you think! Have an awesome Friday!