Egg and Nut Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars

Today, while C was napping, I made some cookies to send to my younger brother to munch on while he studies for his finals. I set them on the counter, hoping to keep C from seeing them and begging for one once he woke up. Well somehow, even though he's only 2 1/2 feet tall, he spotted them on the counter as soon as he walked into the kitchen. He got super excited saying "cookie! cookie! coooooookie!" I knew I would have to make something separate so all the cookies for my brother wouldn't disappear, but I didn't have enough chocolate chips for another batch. So, I checked around to see what I did have and found some frozen raspberries and cream cheese. Perfect! Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars.

This is the perfect snack since we've been trying to focus on eating "real" food lately. No refined sugar, white flour, fake fats, chemical additives etc. Basically if we can't pronounce an ingredient, we don't eat it.  That actually includes a lot of "low fat" packaged foods you will find in the stores! This recipe uses white whole wheat flour (which is 100% soft whole wheat -- I've found it to be better for baking), coconut oil which has significant health benefits, and organic grade b maple syrup which is a healthier substitute for sugar. Cutting out processed and refined foods from our diets has been the only thing to help with my husband's headaches and minor stomach issues I've had in the past. And if it tastes this good, we're completely fine with it! 

Egg and Nut Free Raspberry Cream Cheese Bars

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 oz. cream cheese, plain

1 Tbsp. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup frozen raspberries

In a medium mixing bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together with a wire whisk. In a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, applesauce, cream cheese, milk and vanilla. Beat until incorporated. Fold in the frozen raspberries.

Pour into a greased 8 x 11 glass baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.