Healthy oat and spelt slices with blueberries and pear

These healthy oat and spelt flour slices are the proof that baking doesn't always have to include a ton of sugar or butter.

In my late 20s I was facing some serious health issues and I had to give up doing sport for a while. With giving up physical activity I also gave up baking, because I was afraid that I would gain too much weight. It made me sad and unhappy.
During this time I met my husband who helped me get back to baking... but in a very different way than one would expect. He had lost a lot of weight with diet change and sport and wanted to keep eating healthily. Calorie dense cakes and pies were simply not an option. He encouraged me to look into healthy alternatives and treats that we could enjoy together. One of my latest tries to make our weekend afternoons that little bit sweeter is my version of an oatmeal bar.

   

I recently ordered a bunch of flour online. Organic flour here in New Zealand is really expensive. I was actually shocked when I saw that a kilo of whole spelt flours costs 13-17 NZD. After a bit of research I found online shops who import it from Europe and sell it a lot cheaper. I know, it travels long ways and this is certainly not as good as bought from your local mill. It seems the best option for me though for now. I kind of got too excited by the price though and ended up buying 5kg of organic whole spelt flour and organic whole rye flour. That's the reason why you might find a lot of recipes including spelt flour and/or rye flour here on my blog in the next few months. Luckily my baking friends at work were happy to take some off of my hands. 

Blueberries and pears can easily be substituted for other berries or fruit in this recipe. I was thinking of trying it out with a cherry coconut filling, just because I really like that combination of flavours. Apple and raisins is another good option for these slices. As soon as summer fruit arrive at the supermarket shelves, I'll make these with peach or apricot filling. My husband finished them off in one weekend. Perhaps he needs to learn about portion control ;).

Healthy oat and spelt slices with blueberries and pear

makes 8 small squares

for the filling

1 pear
1/2 cup frozen blueberries*
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

for the batter
1/2 cup whole grain oats
1/2 cup whole spelt flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 medium ripe banana
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconut oil (melted and cooled) + extra for greasing the cake tin.

topping (optional)
1-2 tbsp roughly chopped roasted almonds
1 tbsp of rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 180°C (upper and lower heat). Grease a 20cm x 10cm (8inch x 4 inch) rectangular cake tin with coconut oil.
Cut the pear into small pieces. In a small saucepan combine the ingredients for the filling and 1-2 tablespoons of water and cook on a low heat until soft. It should have an almost jam like consistency. 
While the filling is cooking, combine flour, oats, salt and the baking powder in a bowl. 
Mash up the banana and mix in a small bowl with the egg, honey and oil until loosely combined. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and oat mixture and stir until combined well.
Pour about 3/4 of the batter into the cake tin and top evenly with the berry and pear filling. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and spread until it covers the filling. 
Sprinkle topping on top if using.
Bake for about 27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

* You can use only blueberries and no pear or substitute for other types of berries or stone fruit of your choice, e.g. raspberries, cherries, peach,..