It could have something to do with the fact that being Middle Eastern, growing up, a treat usually consisted of a Medjool date with a walnut stuffed inside. So I just love them.Yum!

You’re going to love this oat slice which is the quickest thing to make, totally scrumptious, and perfect for lunch boxes.

You may also like to check out my popular recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes, much loved by long suffering, lunchbox making parents everywhere.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

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Oat, Seed and Date Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 100 grams butter
• 1/3 cup coconut or rapadura sugar
• 1/2 cup Medjool dates chopped
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
• Grease and line a 9 x 22cm loaf tin with parchment paper.
• Melt butter in small saucepan, once melted keep on very low heat and whisk in the sugar until smooth.
• Turn heat off, add dates and stir through. I highly recommend dipping the finger in to make sure it tastes ok.
• Transfer to a large bowl and stir in egg and vanilla.
• Add flour, oats, chia and sunflower seeds and stir until combined.
• If mixture appears too wet, add in more oats and flour and stir through
• Pour into loaf tin and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack.
• Once cool, slice into bars and pop into lunchboxes.
• Can be frozen.

Notes

NB: If texture is an issue you can grind up the sunflower and chia seeds before adding to the mixture.

If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life. 

And remember, if you haven’t already, grab your copy of Easy Wholefood Luncbboxes here.

Other recipes you may like are my Raspberry Coconut Squares and the Orange and Poppy Seed Bars. 

Bren x

With all the goodness from the coconut oil and good quality eggs, and a bit of a pick-me-up with the cacao, and potassium and vitamins and minerals from the dates, I think these make a nice healthy lunchbox treat. Miss 8 has ordered hers with cream already!

I always hold my breath around the family taste test. After all, I’m using quality organic ingredients which are a bit of an investment, so there’s nothing worse than a recipe flop.

But this one got the family thumbs up, though apparently it’s more of a ‘Brownie Cake’ than a straight-out brownie.

It’s easy to make, lovely and moist, and is extra-delish served with fresh berries in season.

For more favourite healthy treats to create (and eat!) which are perfect for lunchboxes, my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe ebook is proof of this with family faves like Coconut Rough Cookies, Muesli Biscuits, and Strawberry Chia Jam Drops, to name a few.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Coconut Flour
Cacao Powder
Medjool Dates
Baking Powder
Coconut sugar or Rapadura sugar
Coconut oil
Coconut milk
Dark chocolate chips

Print

Brownie Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 2/3 cup Medjool dates chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or rapadura sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unhomogenised milk or coconut milk if dairy free
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate-chips optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C
• Lightly grease a 20cm square tin and line with baking paper
• Process all the dry ingredients and dates in food processor or Thermomix
• Add wet ingredients and continue to process until just combined (don't overmix)
• Stir through dark choc-chips
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin lined with unbleached baking paper, and bake for 20 minutes or until set
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool before cutting into squares
• Enjoy plain or with cream and raspberries

Do you bake with coconut flour? I love using it for the occasional healthy treat, but you need to remember that it doesn’t behave like other flour in baking. A small amount of coconut flour sucks up lots of liquid very quickly!

I hope you enjoy my Brownie Cake recipe!

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek.

Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

Some other healthy lunchbox treats you might like are Raspberry Coconut Squares and Orange and Poppyseed Bars.

We literally throw in a bit of this and a bit of that. But there are some constant main ingredients which provide a combination of nutrients which are going to keep us healthy and strong.

Within minutes we can blend up a healthy breakfast or snack which couldn’t be further from the processed white bread or sugared-up cereals often consumed for breakfast. It’s clean, it’s live, it’s delicious & nutritious!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Almond Milk/ coconut water
Raw honey
Raw cashews
Cinnamon
Vanilla powder

Here’s one of my family’s favourite combinations:

Print

Super Smoothie

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 6 minutes

Servings 4

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 3 cups of milk coconut water & flesh or almond milk (your preference)
• ½ large ripe avocado has a neutral taste but thickens up the smoothie to an ice-cream like consistency
• 2 small frozen bananas broken up
• 1 – 2 scoops of frozen raspberries
• 1-2 teaspoons raw honey optional
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup natural yogurt
• Handful of raw cashews
• A nice pinch of cinnamon
• A pinch of vanilla powder optional
• Ice

Instructions

• Pop all these ingredients into the blender
• Blend & taste (the fruit, bananas and cinnamon usually provide enough sweetness for our family, but if you need a little extra, add the raw honey or some medjool dates)
• Pour and enjoy

Notes

Overipe bananas & mangoes can be frozen and used in smoothies
Freeze smoothie overnight, pop into lunchbox in the morning, should thaw by lunchtime : )

Check out these 6 health benefits you and your family will get from the wonderful nutritious ingredients:

1. Coconut – the water is low-calorie and high in electrolytes, the meat has healing properties because of it’s high lauric acid content
2. Natural yogurt – is a high-quality protein, is rich in vitamins and minerals & is a wonderful natural probiotic
3. Nut butter – great source of protein, good fats and dietary fibre
4. Cinnamon – provides flavor and natural sweetness, digestion and good for blood sugar levels
5. Avocado – It’s considered a superfood and contains good fats & has beautifying qualities
6. Raspberries – are low GI and jam-packed full of anti-oxidants

Why not whizz up this smoothie to a lick-your- lips experience! Or create your own version this week and drop me a line and let me know your favourite combinations.