Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

I love fresh blueberries – just like strawberries, they taste so much better when they are grown locally.  What I love even more about blueberries is how easy they are to freeze – nothing like the work involved with hulling quarts of strawberries.   I reserve most of my blueberries for my morning yogurt – but I wanted to make a few things with some fresh ones while they lasted.   I loved these blueberry oatmeal crumble bars – they were simple to make and delicious.  They were indulgent enough for dessert, yet wholesome enough that a piece for breakfast also seemed ok too.   

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Blueberry Filling

• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• zest of 1/4 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Crumble and Crust

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into 6-8 pieces
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. To make the filling: combine the blueberries, lemon juice and zest in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the berries are soft and tender, 8-10 minutes.  Add the sugar, salt and cornstarch to the berries, and bring to a boil.  Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x8 inch baking dish.

3. To a food processor, add all the ingredients for the crust and crumble topping.  Pulse in 1-second intervals until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Reserve 3/4 cup for the topping, then press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

4. Spread the berry filling over the crust.  Use your fingers to squeeze together clumps of the remaining crumble topping, and sprinkle evenly over the berry filling.

5. Bake until golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Source: Pink Parsley

Printer-friendly version