I’m proud to introduce these rhubarb oat bars with streusel crumb topping as my first dish washer supported recipe ever! We finally got a dish washer last week, and I could not be happier about it. Can you believe that every recipe testing session for the blog has been followed by an extreme dish washing job by either me or Jannis? Even though we did have fun at those dish washing sessions, I highly appreciate the amount of time I now save by simply stuffing everything into our new kitchen gadget. Is there a dish washer appreciation day yet? Because I really think there should be. 

Now on to this delicious treat. I’ve already shared an oat bar recipe a few months ago, and now that rhubarb is in season, I knew I needed to try it with rhubarb instead of raspberries. The result was pure heaven, and Jannis almost ate the entire thing by himself. There are only natural ingredients in these oat bars, so feel free to enjoy some guilt-free treats next time you have a family event or your girlfriends over for girls’ night.

Rhubarb is an amazing fruit that tastes great in crumbles or tartes, so I thought it would be just as delicious in my oat bars. The long red roots are also extremely healthy as they contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of calcium, which strengthens teeth and bones. Rhubarb is also a noticeable source of vitamin K, which is very important for blood clotting. It also contains the compound lutein, which is especially important for healthy eyes and skin.

The layer of rhubarb chia jam in between the two layers of crushed almonds, buckwheat flour and maple syrup really creates a sensation in your mouth that you and your guests will love. In fact, as I am writing this, I am really craving them again.

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe or have any suggestions, questions or comments?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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These superfood energy balls are absolutely amazing! Honestly, I’ve never made such a delicious yet healthy treat before and everybody, especially my boyfriend, loves them. They are super easy to make and only require a few basic ingredients that you are more than welcome to play around with depending on any food allergies or intolerances you might have.
The main ingredient in these energy balls is medjool dates, which are probably my favorite natural sweet in the world. I love how they melt in your mouth and how they satisfy any sugar cravings I usually get in the afternoon.
Medjool dates are also packed with goodness such as iron and potassium. Iron is especially important for oxygen transportation through the body and potassium helps maintain a healthy heart and a normal blood pressure. They are also one of the best energy foods because its sugar is easily broken down in the body, providing instant energy boosters. More goodness comes from the nuts, which are one of the best plant-based sources of protein out there. Almonds contain lots of vitamin E, the beauty vitamin that is important for healthy nails and hair and lets our skin glow from the inside out. Besides almonds, pistachios are one of the healthiest nuts, containing the most amount of monounsaturated fats that keep our heart healthy. To top it all, the chia seeds in these energy balls provide a healthy amount of omega-3-fatty acids, which also help to protect our heart. They are also bursting with fiber, which keeps us satisfied for hours and prevents our blood sugar level from increasing rapidly.

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 cup medjool dates (150g, about 10)
– 1/4 cup (25g) almonds
– 1/4 cup (30g) pistachios
– 1/4 cup (30g) pecans or walnuts
– 1 tbsp chia seeds
– 1 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
– 1 tbsp shredded coconut

NOTES:

Healthy side note: These superfood energy balls are not a low-calorie food, in fact they are calorie bombs. Just because they are healthy and packed with healthy nutrients, does not mean I recommend over-indulging in them. I usually eat one or two a day as a healthy on-the-go snack or brain food when I’m doing office work all day. They are also a great energy boost before a workout or refuel after a workout. My boyfriend loves them before a soccer game to give him some extra energy. Just use common sense and treat them like sweets.
– To make the balls nut-free, simply substitute the nuts for sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds or flax seeds. You will probably need a food processor then.

METHOD:

With a food processor:
Place the almonds into the food processor and grind them to a flour. This should take about 30 seconds depending on the strength of your food processor.
Transfer the almonds into a bowl and set aside.
Now place the pistachios and pecans or walnuts into the food processor and pulse for a few seconds until they are crushed, but still remain some texture (you should still identify them as nuts).
Then remove the stones from the medjool dates and put them into the food processor along with the ground almonds.
Mix them until a sticky dough forms (about 30 seconds). Then add the chia seeds, hemp seeds if you are using them. To form the balls, read below.

Without a food processor:
If you don’t have a food processor it’s a little bit more messy work.
First of all, you need to buy almond meal if you cannot make your own. Almond meal can be found in the baking isle of any grocery store.
Then start by placing the pistachios and pecans or walnuts into a kitchen towel. Make sure you wrap them in the towel completely. Using a hammer or any other hard device, crush the nuts until they are broken down into pieces. Open the towel and place the crushed nuts into a bowl.
Add the almond meal, chia seeds and hemp seeds if you are using them.

Now pit the dates. This is where it gets messy. Squeeze the dates between your hands and form them into a sticky dough. Once you have one sticky big ball of mashed dates, place the ball into the bowl of nuts and chia seeds. Combine everything using your hands, this should get easier because the almond meal serves as a flour, making the dough less sticky.Now pour the shredded coconut flakes in a small bowl or plate.
Now form the balls using your hands. I use about one teaspoon for each energy ball.
Place the balls into the bowl of shredded coconut and cover them completely, rolling the balls around.
Place the covered balls on a small plate and put them in the fridge to set for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

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Since I studied in North Carolina, I feel very strongly connected to the U.S. Southern states. I love the laid-back way of life, the sweet accents, the amazing weather, the beaches, and of course the peaches. Luckily, I got to go back last month to visit my sweet North Carolinian friends. Of course we also took a little road trip down South to visit the lovely city of Charleston. The long drive down the highway was filled with large billboards advertising one of the South’s signature items: peaches. The U.S. American South is one of the largest peach crowing areas in the world, and especially Georgia is known for its especially sweet and tasty peaches. Of course whole foods and Trader Joe’s were packed with local picks and we couldn’t get around buying some of the locally grown peaches.

Back home in Germany, I was still inspired by our vacation and the endless varieties of peaches that we saw, that I had to make this delicious Peach and Strawberry Crumble. I am so excited to share this recipe with you as it has become one of my favorites healthy desserts. Traditionally, crumbles contain a lot of butter, milk and sugar, but this one contains none of the above and is totally suitable for healthy eaters like me, celiacs or vegans. When I had my boyfriend try it, he immediately loved it and told me to sell it on the local market. He also asked me what was un-healthy about the crumble, and my honest answer was “I guess, nothing, really”. Every bite of this Peach and Strawberry Crumble is packed with natural goodness, but it tastes to divine and forbidden, that you and your family or friends won’t believe it’s really healthy. The power foods in this crumble are of course the strawberries, with its high vitamin C content, but even more so, the peaches. The fruits that need a lot of sunshine to grow, contain a large variety of different vitamins, minerals and nutrients that provide many health benefits to the body. For example, peaches are high in potassium, which is important for cellular functioning, and the regulation of muscular tissue. Especially athletes and active people need potassium in order to prevent muscle cramps or injuries. Another health benefit of peaches is improved eyesight due to a large amount of beta-carotene, which is present in peaches. But also our skin and immune system benefit from the healthy fruit. Its high vitamin C content fights free radicals and infection, and protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
As you can tell, I am a big fan of peaches and their health benefits, and I assure you that every bite of this delicious Peach and Strawberry Crumble will release the happy hormones endorphins, and nurture your body with amazing natural goodness.

Ingredients:
Serves 6:
For the strawberry peach filling:
– 6 peaches (700g)
– 400g strawberries
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp coconut oil

For the oat and coconut topping:
– 2 cups (200g) whole walnuts
– 2 cups (200g) oats
– 3 tbsp coconut oil
– ¼ cup + 2 tbsp (110ml) maple syrup
– 2 tsp cinnamon
– 2 tbsp shredded coconut
– a pinch of salt

Note:
– The shredded coconut is optional, but it gives the crumble a nice crunch and texture.
– If you’re allergic to nuts, use oat or buckwheat flour to replace the walnuts.
– If you don’t have maple syrup, you can use honey.
– You can vary the amount of peach and strawberries in this recipe. Just make sure you have just about 1 kilogram of fruit in your base layer.

Start by making the oat and coconut topping. Place the walnuts into a food processor and blend until they are completely broken down into a nice, moist flour. Pour the walnuts into a bowl and add the oats, shredded coconut, and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour the sticky coconut cinnamon mixture over the walnut and oat mix and combine with a spoon until everything is evenly coated. Set aside.

Now make the strawberry peach filling. Simply wash and dry the peaches and the strawberries. Remove the core from the peaches and the stem from the strawberries and slice both into even pieces. Place the peach and strawberry slices into a large enough saucepan. Heat the fruit on medium heat and add the maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut oil. Let the peaches and strawberries simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until they are nice and tender. Be sure to stir frequently in order to avoid burning. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.
Now remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the strawberry peach filling into a large baking tin. Using your hands, sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the strawberries and peaches and make sure that every inch is covered with topping.

Bake the crumble for about 25 minutes until the topping is heavenly crunchy.

Enjoy!

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