Summer fresh and dressed for success! Blueberry Pie Bars are a delicious treat for your everyday and special dessert needs. A rolled oat crust is layered with a delicious blueberry filling, with a hint of lemon, and topped with an oat crumble. Made gluten-free (if you would like), Blueberry Pie Bars are filled with everything to love about summer, fresh berries. They are truly the “berry” best!
Ingredients
For the crust and the crumble:
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter or vegan ghee, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 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
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 lemon, zested, optional
- salt, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a little as an overhang for easy removal later, then generously coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, add the flour, the oats, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, the baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix to combine.
Step 4 –Add the melted butter, the vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract to the flour mixture and stir until a nice crumble forms and the dough begins to clump together.
Step 5 –In the prepared baking dish, add 1 3/4 cups of the crust mixture and evenly press it into the bottom. Place the remaining crust mixture in the refrigerator to reserve for the crumble topping.
Step 6 –In a medium pan over medium heat, add the blueberries, the maple syrup, the cornstarch, the remaining almond extract, the lemon zest, and the remaining salt and bring to a boil, while using a wooden spoon to press down and break down the blueberries just slightly.
Step 7 –Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the filling until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 8 –Evenly spread the filling over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture over top.
Step 9 –Bake the bars until the filling is bubbly and the crumble topping is golden, about 30 minutes.
Step 10 –Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely.
Step 11 –Transfer the baking dish to the refrigerator and let the bars chill.
Step 12 –Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the baking dish and cut it into squares.
Step 13 –Serve.
