Blueberry Lemon Protein Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 × 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, protein powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the almond milk, honey, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly combined.
5. Gently fold in the blueberries. If using frozen blueberries, add them straight from the freezer without thawing.
6. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. The batter will be fairly thick because of the oats and protein powder.
7. Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the centre is set and the edges are lightly golden. Similar protein-oat bars generally bake around this temperature and time.
8. Allow to cool completely before slicing. This is important—the bars firm considerably as they cool.
9. For the optional icing, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Add a few drops of additional lemon juice or almond milk if necessary, then drizzle over the completely cooled bars.

Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to about 5 days, or individually wrap and freeze for easy breakfasts and snacks.

Lower-sugar option: Since ½ cup honey adds quite a bit of sugar, I’d be inclined to reduce it to ¼ cup honey plus your preferred granulated sweetener. You’ll keep the lemon-blueberry flavor while substantially reducing the added sugar.