Blueberry Brown Sugar Bars

The bars are rich and sweet, soft and gooey, tasty and healthy. I am not sure if they are more of a 'cake' bar or a 'blondie' bar but they certainly are delicious. They retain their softness and moisture from containing no added fat, but using fruit purées instead. You get a hint of banana, but it is not a dominant flavor. Almond butter adds a nice taste and texture to these bars, and adds some nutrition. Use whole wheat flour and date sugar for a truly healthy bar that is also vegan!

Blueberry Brown Sugar Bars
1/2 cup smooth almond butter (no added ingredients, use a different nut if desired)
scant 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 medium bananas, well mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour, or use whole wheat, oat, or even almond
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (fresh would probably work as well, or substitute raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond butter, applesauce, banana, and vanilla well until very smooth. Mix in the sugar. Toss the blueberries in the flour and add along with the baking soda and salt. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, though may still have a few crumbs attached. Bars will be soft. 

It is imperative to allow them to cool, then refrigerate them to cool completely before cutting (unless you just want to dive into an ooey gooey, but equally delicious, mess with a spoon, as I TOTALLY would - but I like ooey gooey textures like that). I even recommend popping them in the freezer just for an hour or so before trying to cut them to help set the crumb.