Raspberry Bars with Rolled Oat & Almond Crumble

We are blessed to live and work in Abbotsford, British Columbia, the Berry Capital of Canada. We eat fresh berries at almost every meal from the beginning of July to at least the middle of August!

These bright, sweet and tart Raspberry Bars, adapted from Choosing Chia, are a favorite dessert right now, the peak of raspberry season.

But as much as we love to make them with juicy, sun-ripened raspberries freshly picked in our own community, these bars also work great with frozen raspberries, too. That means you can enjoy this Raspberry Bar recipe all year long, with whatever is readily available.

Ingredients

For the crumble:
1 cup One Degree Organics Sprouted Rolled Oats
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup organic sunflower oil or vegan butter (melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the raspberry filling:
3 cups raspberries (fresh or thawed, frozen berries)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions

Line an 8-inch × 8-inch pan with parchment paper, and preheat your oven to 350℉.

In a large bowl, stir together all crumble ingredients. Incorporate the oil or melted butter throughout so the crumble mixture is sandy and evenly moist.

Pour about two thirds of the crumble mixture into the bottom of your parchment-lined pan, and set aside the rest. With your hands, gently press the mixture into the pan to form the bottom crust for the bars. Bake the crust for 8 – 10 minutes until lightly golden, then set aside.

Prepare your raspberry filling while your bar crust bakes. In a small saucepan, combine all raspberry filling ingredients, and bring to a boil. Let the filling boil for about 2 minutes; as it boils, use a fork to mash your berries gently. Once mashed, simmer your filling over medium-low heat for about 10 more minutes, stirring regularly until the mixture starts to thicken.

Remove cooked filling from the heat, and pour over your pre-baked crust. Spread the filling evenly from edge to edge in the pan, so the crust is completely covered.

Scatter the remaining third of the crumble mixture over the top of the filling. Aim for even coverage.

Return the pan to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes until crumble topping is golden brown and raspberry filling is bubbling around the edges. Before slicing into 2-inch squares, allow the raspberry bars to cool completely. (Those mouthwateringly sweet and deliciously tart bars are hard to resist fresh out of the oven! We promise they’re worth the extra wait—these raspberry bars hold together far better when cool. (If you absolutely can’t resist, be prepared to scoop them out and serve them with a spoon!)).

To serve, enjoy as-is, or top each bar with a dollop of coconut whip and a sprinkle of freshly-grated lemon zest.