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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smart Balance.

So now that the holidays are over I need to get back on track but that doesn’t mean I can’t have my favorite treats.  One of our favorite snacks to make around here are these Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.   They are easy to whip up on a Sunday and snack on them all week.

We want to start eating healthier but that doesn’t mean we have to give up our favorite snack.  I just swapped the peanut butter in my original recipe for Smart Balance Peanut Butter which is an excellent source of Omega-3 ALA and that makes me a happy mama!

I also swapped out the butter in the original recipe for Smart Balance Blended Butter Sticks which have 28% less saturated fat than regular butter, no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and 0g trans fat.  They are also a fabulous source of Omega-3s EPA/DHA.  So not only can I reduce the calories in our yummy treats but bumping up the Omega-3 in our diet is a great bonus!

These bars are delicious, perfect for on the go and sometimes they make a quick breakfast for me if I am in a hurry.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup golden brown sugar
• ¾ cup Smart Balance peanut butter
• ½ cup Smart Balance blended butter sticks, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• I cup jelly
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine the flour and baking powder.
2. Add the peanut butter, butter and sugar to a stand mixer, mix on medium high until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until well combined.
3. Sprinkle with flour mixture, stir until just combined.
4. Line and 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper, making sure the paper goes up and over the edges. Add half of the peanut butter dough to the pan, press into one even layer.
5. Preheat oven to 350.
6. In a saucepan over high heat, add the jelly and powdered sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy.
7. Pour jelly over crust. Break the other half of dough into pea-sized pieces, and sprinkle over jelly. Use as much as desired, you may have leftover peanut butter dough.
8. Bake at 350 until the top crust starts to turn golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool, remove from pan by grabbing the edges of the parchment paper and lifting out. Cut into squares.

I loved that I was able to make a healthier version and I cannot wait to get in my kitchen and experiment more with Smart Balance to make my old stand-by recipes healthier.

You should grab some Smart Balance and switch them out in your favorite go to recipes. The taste is the same and all your are losing is calories and fat!  It is a win-win in my book.  Smart Balance products are made without hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, and are naturally 0g trans fat.   Did you know they contain a natural blend of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fats designed to help improve the ratio of good HDL cholesterol to bad LDL cholesterol?  Could this stuff get any better?

Are you looking to get back on track and get healthier?  Smart Balance is offering a complimentary 14-day meal plan to help right-track your eating and offer a variety of tasty recipes to make at home. The plan can be downloaded for free here: https://bit.ly/JW4XWz

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smart Balance.