At first glance, no one would describe me as trendy.  I've had the same hairstyle since the seventh grade--long, no bangs, parted down the middle (I've occasionally tried cutting my hair shorter, but it has always proven ill-advised).  On work days, I wear my business casual uniform of boot-cut black dress pants and a cardigan.  And I take the uniform part seriously: I own two identical pairs of pants and the same cardigan in seven different colors.  My favorite music is classic rock, and my favorite television show is the PBS NewsHour, although I do have a soft spot for the American Experience.  I am constantly confused by acronyms on Twitter and find the entire premise of Snapchat mystifying.

But when it comes to food, I am on the vanguard.  I liked kale before it was cool, rode the quinoa wave, and even tried my hand at cauliflower rice.  I am willing to experiment with food in spite of (or maybe because of) the comfortable squareness that marks the rest of my life.  So when I found a recipe for cheesecake breakfast bars that checked off all the trendy boxes--high-protein, gluten-free, coconut oil--I was ready to give it a try.  I added some frozen raspberries for extra flavor, and while the bars aren't quite dessert-worthy, they are an extremely satisfying breakfast.  I especially appreciate that you can make a batch on Sunday for a week's worth of easy breakfasts.  After all, one can only eat so many Mason jars of overnight oats.

Since I do some recipe development work for natural foods companies, I happened to have the coconut oil and coconut sugar the original recipe specified in my pantry.  However, I don't think they add all that much in terms of flavor, so feel free to substitute unsalted butter and packed brown sugar if that's what you have available.  Note that the crust will seem crumbly as you press it into the pan; the filling will help it hold together.  Don't be alarmed if the bars are puffy when you first remove them from the oven, since they'll settle as they cool.

Adapted from Good Morning Cheesecake Bars by Power Hungry

Yield: 9 snack-sized bars, or 4 meal-sized bars

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling

• 1 2/3 cups nonfat cottage cheese
• 2/3 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons rolled oats to garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Mix 1 1/3 cups oats, coconut oil, milk, 2 teaspoons coconut sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Press firmly into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree cottage cheese in blender until smooth.  Add raspberries, yogurt, 1/3 cup coconut sugar, and vanilla and puree until smooth.  Finally, add the eggs and puree until smooth. 

Pour filling over baked crust.  If desired, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oats.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and center is set.  Cool completely in pan, and then chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.  Cut into squares and store tightly covered in refrigerator.