Pumpkin blueberry breakfast bars: egg-free, dense, and built for grab-and-go

Eggs bind most baked goods, and losing them is one of the harder adjustments in AIP baking. This bar solves it with a gelatin egg: gelatin bloomed in cold water, melted, then whisked into a froth right before it goes into the batter. It works the way an egg would, and it is worth learning once because it applies to plenty of other AIP baking beyond this recipe.

Collagen peptides add a real protein boost to what would otherwise be a mostly-carbohydrate bar, and pumpkin carries beta-carotene along for the ride. These are dense and moist, not cake-like, and they freeze well, which matters on a morning where cooking anything is not going to happen.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 3 tablespoons collagen peptides
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup blueberries

Gelatin egg:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon gelatin powder

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375 F and line an 8x6-inch baking dish with parchment.
• Whisk the coconut flour, tapioca starch, collagen, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Stir in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree until a thick batter forms.
• Make the gelatin egg: sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it bloom 2 to 3 minutes, then warm it gently over low heat until fully liquid. Whisk vigorously until frothy, then fold it into the batter right away, while it is still foamy.
• Fold in the blueberries. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until set and baked through. Cool completely on a rack before slicing into 9 bars.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com by Michelle Hoover*