Are you a fan of 50/50 bars? There's somethin' about the combination of a little bit of citrus with a lotta bit of creaminess. These bars were inspired from a few different sources and I'm so glad all the inspo came together to create these granola-crusted, cheesecake-like, orange dream machines. A while back, the awesome Dani Nemeh shared her recipe for blackberry bars that were made using store-bought granola as the base. They looked incredible and I immediately thought of using my homemade granola in a version I would re-create. With jars of prepared homemade granola in about every corner of my kitchen, it was a must.

Traditionally, I contribute to my family's holiday get-togethers by bringing the dessert. I always like bringing something unique, colorful, creative, and of course, nutrish delish. This Easter seemed like a good time to experiment with the granola crust idea, especially since lately I've been sprinkling tons of my granola in and on everything like it's confetti.

It's currently orange season, and my job Ooooby, revolves around seasonal produce, so I've got oranges for days! The local oranges were the star of the show in these bars. The blend of freshly squeezed orange juice and zest infused into these creamy bars is just . . .yassS.

I know I always talk about Ooooby, but delivering abundant boxes of local, organic, seasonal produce is pretty amazing. There's tons of advice out there about how important it is to eat healthy, but not many sources that actually help you do it in an affordable, convenient, sustainable way. Not only is Ooooby essentially like an on-the-go farmer's market, but we're all about connecting with individuals, families, local farmers, and small businesses.

We also try to make it exciting and educational. In fact, we just had a Spring Farm Party last month where we invited anyone and everyone to come hang out and get a tour of the 75-acre farm that most of the produce is harvested on. Everyone had so much fun learning about the crops and picking their own produce to take home. It was incredible to see kids' faces light up after pulling carrots out of the dirt that were basically the size of them. All the adults loved checking out the farm-to-table process, too. We also partnered with local food trucks and vendors, nutritionists, food trucks, and even message therapists to help make the Spring Farm Party a great time. If you're interested in learning more about Ooooby, contact me and/or follow Ooooby to hear about upcoming events!

As for these Creamsicle Cheesecake Bars . . .

Recipe yields 16 bars

For the Granola Crust:

12 ounces Naked Nola
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Zest from 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Creamsicle Layer:

1.5 cups raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (no pulp)
6 tablespoons canned coconut cream (no liquid)
3 tablespoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pink salt

Method:

For the Granola Crust, combine the Naked Nola, melted coconut oil, zest, and vanilla in a food processor and whiz until it is no longer crumbly and can be molded with your hands.
Next, spread and flatten out the crust evenly on the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish.
For the Creamsicle layer, add all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth.
Pour on top of crust, then freeze over night.
When you are ready to serve, slice into squares and garnish with orange slices.
Enjoy!