This cake has become my go to dessert for parties and special occasions.  I make this cake so often that I no longer need to look for the recipe and I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. The batter can easily be used for muffins, just reduce the baking time by about 5 minutes.

Banana blueberry oatmeal Birthday cake

This recipe is adapted from my good friend Katie Mae’s blog. She has tons of great kid friendly recipes that my kids love. I just tell the kids that I’m making one of Katie’s recipes and they are sure to like it.

The boys love to help me in the kitchen. There is always a  big discussion/argument over who will peel the bananas and pour the oatmeal in the blender and who will get to stir first.

We often call this recipe, “Blueberry bars” because that is how it originated. But I just as frequently use raspberries or strawberries in place of blueberries. So feel free to use whatever berries or fruit you have on hand. It is hard to mess up this cake.

The ingredients are simple whole foods that I always have stocked in my pantry. If you are gluten sensitive then be sure to use gluten free oats. I usually get mine from Trader Joe’s but Bob’s Red Mill brand also has gluten free oats. There is no oil and no refined sugar in this cake. It is sweetened with dates, bananas and applesauce.

Ingredients:

• 3 and 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats

• 1 cup pitted dates

• 1/2 cup applesauce

• 1  to 1 and 1/2 cups water

• 2 medium bananas

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 tablespoon Baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2  to 3/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

• 1 and 1/2 cups berries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place dates, water, applesauce,bananas and vanilla in blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of rolled oats and blend.

In a medium mixing bowl combine 2 cups rolled oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder. Stir well.

Add the wet ingredients from the blender to the dry ingredients. Stir well. Gently stir in the chopped walnuts and berries.

To avoid using oil entirely in this recipe you can line a 13 by 9 1/2 inch baking pan or two 8 by 8 inch pans with parchment paper (this step is not necessary if you are using a nonstick baking pan. Use a rubber spatula to pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes uncovered. If your are making muffins reduce baking time to around 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. To turn this into a decadent cake or cupcake that you can decorate with fresh fruit, top with my cashew cream frosting.

Enjoy!