Blueberry Pie Bars with Oatmeal Crumble (vegan and gluten free!)
Perfectly sweet healthy blueberry pie bars topped with a delicious oat crumble. These easy vegan and gluten free blueberry bars taste just like blueberry pie and will be your new favorite treat for spring and summer!
Servings 16 bars
Calories 152cal
Ingredients
- For the crust and crumble:
- 1 ½ cups gluten free oat flour (or sub all purpose flour)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar but you may not get the best 'crumble')
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter or vegan buttery stick, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- For the filling:
- 2 1/2 heaping cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- Optional to make the with a hint of lemon flavor: zest from 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and generously spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the base + topping: In a large bowl, use a fork to mix together the oat flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add in melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract and stir until a nice crumble forms and dough begins to clump together.
- Place 1 3/4 cups of the mixture into the prepared pan and place the remaining mixture into the fridge (the remaining mixture will be used for the topping). Use your hands to evenly press the dough to the bottom of the pan.
- Next make your blueberry pie filling: place a medium pot over medium heat. Add in blueberries, maple syrup, almond extract, cornstarch (or arrowroot) and salt. Use a wooden spoon to press down and break down the blueberries just a bit.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 3-5 more minutes until mixture is thickened up and nicely coats the back of a spoon.
- Pour mixture over the crust and use a spoon to evenly spread.
- Take the remaining topping out of the fridge. By now there should be some nice crumbles that have clumped together. Sprinkle the topping over the blueberry filling.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.
- Allow bars to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the fridge to chill. Bars are delicious served at room temperature or straight out of the fridge. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 bars before serving.
Notes
To store these blueberry pie bars: the bars are delicious served at room temperature or straight out of the fridge. I recommend storing in the fridge for optimal freshness.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar (based on 16) | Calories: 152cal | Carbohydrates: 26.8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 11.4g