Step aside sparkling holiday cocktails and say hello to sparkling DESSERTS.
Yes – these pear crumble bars are made with a special ingredient – Zevia’s Sparkling Pear Celebrations.
As a dietitian, I know that soda is still one of those impossible habits to kick. I see it with many of my clients.
As an RD, I embrace an “all foods fit” philosophy – that is there is a place for all foods in a healthy diet and there is no “good” or “bad.
Sugar, however, is something that I recommend individuals to cut back on as much as they can. The daily recommendation by the American Heart Association is to stay below 36 grams of added sugar per day for men and 24 grams for women. Excess sugar intake is not only bad for our waistlines, but our heart as well.
Sugar provides energy but no nutrients. It bypasses our satiating hormones, especially in liquid form – in the absence of fiber. While many diet sodas may seem like a fair trade from the sweet stuff, most contain artificial sweeteners, chemicals and dyes with no long-term evidence of their safety. I recommend sugar-free sodas like Zevia to my clients, which is sweetened with stevia, a plant-based sweetener that has no effect on blood glucose levels. I love adding it to cocktails during the holidays and can’t wait to experiment in the months to come!
But of course, today we aren’t talking beverages – we are all about dessert!
These bars are the ultimate fall, sugar-free treat featuring one of my favorite fall fruits (pears) and a little bubbly. Their Sparkling Celebrations come in pear and apple and come in festive bottles that look elegant and fun on the dining room table or countertop.
If you make this recipe, be sure to share with me on Instagram!
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup stevia
- 2.5 cups quick cooking oats
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup Zevia Sparkling Pear
- 2 tbsp stevia
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 2 pears, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp Zevia Sparkling Pear
- Preheat the oven to 375 and grease an 8 x 8 pan.
- In a food processor, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup stevia, butter, 2.5 cup quick cooking oats and 1/3 cup Zevia Sparkling Pear. Pulse until you get a crumbly mixture.
- Add 3/4 of the crumbly mixture to the bottom of the 8 x 8 pan and press to create a crust. Set aside 1/4 for topping.
- In a medium bowl, make pear filling by combining diced pear with 2 tbsp stevia, 2 tbsp whole wheat flour and 2 tbsp Zevia Sparkling Pear.
- Add pear filling evenly to the top of the crust and top with remaining 1/4 of the crumble mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares.
