Description
Delicious gluten-free strawberry crumble bars made with almond flour and oat flour, naturally sweetened with fresh strawberries and pure maple syrup. These vegan-friendly bars offer the delightful taste of strawberry pie in a convenient, handheld treat perfect for spring and summer.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups (168g) packed fine almond flour (do not use almond meal)
- 1 ½ cups (138g) oat flour
- ¾ cup (71g) oats
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) melted and cooled salted butter (or substitute vegan butter or melted coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 1 pound (454g) fresh strawberries, diced
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (or substitute vanilla)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Make the Base and Topping: In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, oat flour, oats, and salt with a fork. Add melted butter, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract, stirring until a crumbly dough forms and begins to clump together. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture for the topping and set aside. Evenly press the remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan using your hands.
- Bake the Crust: Bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Once done, remove it from the oven.
- Prepare the Strawberry Filling: While the crust bakes, place a medium pot over medium heat. Add diced strawberries, maple syrup, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the filling thickens slightly and the strawberries release their juices.
- Assemble the Bars: Pour the warm strawberry filling over the partially baked crust, spreading evenly with a spoon. Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake the Bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until the filling bubbles around the edges and the topping is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely to firm up before cutting; chilling in the refrigerator can speed up this process. Serve bars on their own or with vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert.
Notes
- To make this recipe nut-free, use the crust and crumble topping from a blueberry pie bar recipe that does not include nuts.
- Refer to the full recipe post online for extra tips, tricks, and customization options.