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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Since it was my boyfriend’s birthday last week, there was a lot of baking going on in our kitchen for obvious reasons. However, since I had my last exam on Thursday, it was actually my boyfriend who was in charge of baking for once. He got so many messages from people saying that they knew he was well taken care of food-wise on his birthday, but since I was also fighting a cold, he took over the kitchen this week. It’s tradition in his soccer team that the birthday boy brings cake for the whole team, and he had been telling everyone that he was going to bring healthy, plant based and refined sugar-free cake. So we had to come up with a whole baking tray of healthy cake, because there’s no recipe like that on my blog yet.    

I wanted to make a German “Streuselkuchen”, but I was afraid that this might not turn out so well. Then I suggested to make a crumble for everyone, but realized that that was not going to work either, because they do not have forks or plates at soccer practice. Luckily, I was asked to beta test Angela Liddon’s new app coming in April this week, so I remembered seeing chia jam oat squares at her blog that I have always wanted to try, so we tried them and they turned out amazing. We twisted the recipe a bit, but the idea is the same. One crumble layer on the bottom, chia jam in the middle topped with a delicious mixture of oats, coconut oil, cinnamon and honey.

On a little side note, I wanted to share some minor news: I’m finally on snapchat! (heavenlynn_blog). Whooo! Well, I’ve been on snapchat for over two years, but I’ve never actively used it, until my snapchat-obsessed sister got me to use it for Heavenlynn Healthy – and I’ve discovered that it’s so much fun. I don’t have time to upload pretty pictures all the time, so snapchat allows me to share some of my daily HLH routines with all of you. Here’s a little snap story from when we baked these bars:

* please excuse my little typo (teams) – I was just so excited to finally try these bars! 

I haven’t done this in a while, but let’s examine all the ingredients present in these chia jam oat bars and what benefits they have for our body:

Almonds: Almonds are an amazing source of Vitamin E, the beauty vitamin that strengthens our nails, hair and lets our skin glow.
Chia Seeds: There are about a million amazing health benefits from chia seeds. They are packed with healthy fatty acids called omega-3, which lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Coconut oil: This highly controversial fat is one of the healthiest fats out there. It may be saturated fat, but it’s not the saturated fat found in cheeses or fried food, but the kind that our body can actually absorb and digest well, called medium chain tryclicerides (MCT). Instead of storing it in our fat depots, our body uses coconut oil to produce energy, which has been scientifically proven to lead to weight loss.
Bananas: My favorite fruit is one of the best sources of potassium, which helps us maintain a healthy heart function, and regulates our blood pressure.
Honey: Since I am not strictly vegan, I use honey for its amazing health benefits. It is highly anti-bacterial and raw honey comes with a long list of vitamins and nutrients such as iron, copper or magnesium which are all important for a healthy and functioning body.
Oats: Oats are extremely high in fiber, which aids digestion and stabilizes your blood sugar level. They are also known to lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Raspberries: As all berries, raspberries are true antioxidant superfoods. They also contain lots of vitamin C, which is important to boost our immune system. They’re also a good source of manganese, a mineral that helps strengthen our bones.

As with all my baked goods, I once again need to get something of my chest. Even though this recipe includes only ingredients that have protein, fiber, vitamins or minerals, this is still a sweet cake with lots of  (healthy) fats and carbohydrates. It is definitely a healthier option than a traditional German “Streusel”, but please do not think that this cake contains no calories, just because is made with healthy ingredients. Please treat it like you would treat a normal Streusel – one or two pieces should be enough per day – but keep in mind that when eaten in moderation, these oat bars will benefit your body more than a piece of cake from a regular German bakery.

Enjoy!

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I’m sorry for this super short recipe description, but I just did not have time to write a whole lot this week. As some of you know, I’ve started my Masters a few weeks ago, and it has already kept me busy, especially since I am also trying to work full time for the family business. Anyway, no excuses, there is always time for food. Especially now, when days get darker and the temperatures get colder I need a proper breakfast in order to be productive throughout the entire day. Now that does not mean that I have a huge amount of time to prepare it in the morning. In fact, I am a strong believer that breakfast can be prepared quickly without having to sacrifice on nourishment or goodness. Porridge is a great way to make a highly nutritious breakfast in no time. This quick vanilla porridge literally takes 3 minutes to prepare. Everybody has 3 minutes in the morning, right? The porridge needs another 10 minutes to sit, during which you can get ready for the day, because you don’t even have to watch it. Those of you following me on Instagram have probably noticed my addiction to coconut porridge in the morning. Well, I still love coconut porridge, but oh man, this vanilla porridge has great potential to become my next big thing. Vanilla is just perfect for this time of the year, especially now that we are getting closer and closer to Christmas. It is so comforting and really warms you from the inside.

I buy my vanilla powder in a jar, but you can also use traditional vanilla pods if you like. I know that vanilla is not the cheapest, but a little jar of vanilla powder lasts me for many months, and the flavor is definitely worth it. If you love porridge and vanilla, then you are going to love this one. Trust me on this.

Enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Merken

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Those of you who’ve been following me on Instagram may have noticed my slight obsession with porridge. I love all sorts of porridges: almond milk porridge, oat milk porridge, blueberry porridge, pink raspberry porridge, apple cinnamon porridge – you name it. My newest obsession is coconut porridge, which is the creamiest most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten for breakfast. I am not exaggerating, it really is such a delicious breakfast that provides you with enough energy to make it through a busy morning at work or at school. Porridge is also a cheap way to start your day in an extremely healthy way. Oats can be really cheap when bought in bulk, and they also don’t have to be organic in order to be healthy. If you cook your porridge with more water than milk, you don’t even need a lot of pricey plant-based milk in order to eat a plant-based breakfast. 

I admit that eating porridge for breakfast may not seem all that exciting. However, you can make it exciting by topping your porridge with delicious and flavorful toppings such as fruits, superfoods or nut butters. I prefer a mixture of all of the above to make my porridge more exciting and colorful. It’s actually quite fun to play around with different flavors and spices, like apple cinnamon or vanilla and almond. I am sure everyone’s taste is different so I’ll just provide you with my basic coconut porridge recipe and you’re welcome to play around with different toppings and flavors. If you need more porridge inspiration then be sure to follow me on Instagram, which is where I share at least three or four porridge bowls a week.

 Enjoy!

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This granola is just so perfect for fall, it’s been my go-to-autumn granola for the last two years now, and I still don’t have enough of it. I top my overnight oats or porridges with it or eat it straight from the container. It’s my happy-place-granola and I always have it in the house. Whenever my family pays us a visit, they walk straight to the kitchen to see if I have any granola left and I usually make a batch for them just in case.
I’ve even thought about selling this granola, that’s how much everybody loves it. Maybe I do, depending on how you guys like it. Please don’t hesitate to tell me in the comments below. It’s of course also incredibly good for you as all ingredients are completely natural and packed with nutrients. Of course there’s oats which contain a good amount of manganese, which protects our bones. Oats are also loaded with fiber, which regulate our blood sugar levels and keep us satisfied for hours.
The real hero in this granola is buckwheat though. The little seeds contain all essential amino acids, making it a real protein. It is said to lower blood pressure and cholesterol because of it’s high amount of magnesium. It relaxes our blood vessels which allows our blood to flow better, which in turn leads to a normal blood pressure.

All the nuts and seeds in this granola make it such a great source of protein and fiber, which keep you satisfied the entire morning. The granola also has much less sugar than store-bought granola, which are usually loaded with refined sugar.
Combined with creamy porridge, chia pudding or overnight oats, this buckwheat & pumpkin granola really makes the best breakfast.

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 cup (80g) raw buckwheat groats
– 1 cups (80g) (gluten-free) oats
– 1 cup (120g) pumpkin seeds
– 1/2 cup (60g) sunflower seeds
– ½ cup (75g) raw unpeeled almonds (with skin)
– ½ cup (50g) pecans
– 2 tbs virgin coconut oil
– 3 tbs maple sirup
– 3 tsps cinnamon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°. Start by putting the almonds and pecans into a food processor and crush for 2-3 pulses until they are broken into pieces. They should not be completely crushed, you still want to be able to identify them as nut pieces.
2. Place the crushed nuts into a large bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except cinnamon, and stir well until the ingredients are combined.
3. Next, melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon, and stir well until everything is dissolved.
4. Now pour the sweet coconut cinnamon mix over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is slightly sticky.
5. Pour the granola on a baking sheet which you have aligned with parchment paper, and bake for about 25-30 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, take the pan out and stir well so the outer edges do not get burned. Repeat this every 5-10 minutes for the rest of the time.
6. After 25 – 30 minutes, take out the tray and leave it to cool for about 20 minutes.
   By this time the granola should be nicely crunchy but not burned and your kitchen should smell devine.

Serve with milk, non-dairy milk, (coconut) yoghurt or greek yogurt, and top it with fruits. Stored in an air-tight container it should taste amazing for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy!

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