Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a loaf pan or 8x8” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the blueberry lemon filling: Add the blueberries, date paste or maple syrup, chia seeds, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and resembles pourable blueberry jam. (Optional: mash half the blueberries with a spatula or leave them all whole if you like more texture.)
Make the arrowroot slurry by combining the arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Mix until the arrowroot is dissolved.
Stir the arrowroot slurry into the blueberries until the blueberries thicken (about a minute). Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, hemp seeds, almond meal, oat flour, baking powder, and salt, if using. Stir well to combine.
In a small bowl, add the mashed banana, date paste or maple syrup, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add the wet banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well to form a dough.
Spread ⅔ of the dough in the parchment-lined baking dish.
With a spatula, evenly spread the blueberry filling on top.
With clean hands, crumble the remaining ⅓ of the dough on top of the filling. (The dough is moist so it may not exactly “crumble” on top. Basically, you’re placing pieces of dough along the top to make your crumble topping, and it may not cover the entire top. That’s okay!).
Bake for 30 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Once cool, remove the berry bake by pulling the parchment paper out from the baking dish and transferring it to a cutting board. Cut into 2x2” bars. Keep in the refrigerator (see below for storage suggestions.)
Chef's Notes
Substitutions
Use another berry of choice in place of blueberries.
Use another fruit of choice like cubed apples or pears in place of blueberries.
Whole Food Sweetener
Use date paste in place of maple syrup.
Flour-free
Instead of using oat flour, grind organic whole oats to a meal-like texture.
Berries
I used frozen organic wild blueberries, which are small and also have a higher water content than fresh berries, making the bars extra gooey (and yummy!). Your final filling consistency may depend on the type of berries you use.
Prep Ahead
Make the filling ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before making the recipe.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 30 days.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a loaf pan or 8x8” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the blueberry lemon filling: Add the blueberries, date paste or maple syrup, chia seeds, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and resembles pourable blueberry jam. (Optional: mash half the blueberries with a spatula or leave them all whole if you like more texture.)
Make the arrowroot slurry by combining the arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Mix until the arrowroot is dissolved.
Stir the arrowroot slurry into the blueberries until the blueberries thicken (about a minute). Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, hemp seeds, almond meal, oat flour, baking powder, and salt, if using. Stir well to combine.
In a small bowl, add the mashed banana, date paste or maple syrup, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add the wet banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well to form a dough.
Spread ⅔ of the dough in the parchment-lined baking dish.
With a spatula, evenly spread the blueberry filling on top.
With clean hands, crumble the remaining ⅓ of the dough on top of the filling. (The dough is moist so it may not exactly “crumble” on top. Basically, you’re placing pieces of dough along the top to make your crumble topping, and it may not cover the entire top. That’s okay!).
Bake for 30 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Once cool, remove the berry bake by pulling the parchment paper out from the baking dish and transferring it to a cutting board. Cut into 2x2” bars. Keep in the refrigerator (see below for storage suggestions.)