4 Ingredient Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.

Add mashed bananas, quick oats and maple syrup to a large mixing bowl. Mix with a spatula until everything is evenly combined. You can taste and add more maple syrup if desired. Your mixture should be thick and moist but not too wet or runny. You should be able to shape the mixture with your hands. If your mixture is too wet, you can add a little more oats. If it's too dry, you can add a little more mashed banana.

Divide the oat mixture in half. Add one half of it to your prepared baking pan and use your hands to spread and press it evenly across the bottom of your pan. The mixture will be thin, but you should have enough to cover the entire bottom surface.

Add blueberries to a small high powered blender. Blend until the blueberries become a thick liquid. It's okay if there are specks of blueberry skin, but there should not be any blueberry pieces left. Carefully pour the blueberry puree over the oat mixture. It should be thick enough that it sits on top. Use a spatula to spread it evenly across the surface of the oats. It's important to wait until right before you are about to use the puree to make it. The puree thickens a lot when it sits out and will be difficult to spread if you make it ahead of time.

Place the remaining half of the oat mixture on a sheet of parchment paper. Measure the interior dimensions of your baking pan. Even if you are using an 8 x 8 inch pan, it may measure a little less than 8 x 8 inches inside. Use your hands to shape, press and spread your mixture into a thin square on the parchment paper, with the same dimensions of the inside of your baking pan. This will be the oat crust placed on top of your blueberry puree. Use a thin cookie spatula to loosen and lift the oat mixture off of the parchment paper. It's okay if the oat crust breaks as you start to remove it from the parchment paper--you won't be able to lift it all in one piece without it breaking but with the help of a spatula you should be able to lift large pieces of it. It will be like a puzzle that you need to put back together. Gently place the oat mixture crust pieces on top of the blueberry puree. Once all of the oat crust is on, you can gently press together any cracks or breaks. Just don't press too hard because that will squeeze up the blueberry puree. You should have a fairly even covering of oat crust over the blueberry puree.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the oats on the surface are golden brown. The surface of the bars should look dry and cooked. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. The bars are easier to cut when fully cooled. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.