Raspberry-blackberry crumble bars

I have a tendency to go overboard when I buy seasonal produce. I can’t help it. It’s the millennial fomo in me. So I’m constantly trying to find ways to use all my fruits and veggies before they go bad. Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits, and they’re best in the summer.

I love these bars because they’re super easy to throw together, flexible (you can use any fruit), and not too unhealthy. Oats, duhhh. If you’re like me, maybe you’ll pair them with a cup of coffee or tea and call them breakfast.

If you’re making these in a different season, feel free to use frozen berries. Just make sure you thaw them thoroughly before using.

The recipe is simple: First, you make a flour-oat-butter-brown sugar topping and use half for the crust. Then you layer on a mix of berries, sugar, and cornstarch. Then you top with the other half of the oat crumble and bake. It’s just like making an apple crisp. If you’re vegan, you can sub coconut oil or any vegan butter for the regular butter.

Take these on a hike, a picnic, or just in your Uber on the way to work.

Ingredients – crust

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or sub half for whole wheat flour)
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients – berry filling

• 16 ounces fresh raspberries and blackberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Juice of one lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Mix crust ingredients in large until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a stand mixer or food processor, but I prefer to use my hands.

To form bottom crust, place half of mixture in baking pan and press down gently. Bake for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, mix lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch in large bowl until combined. Gently stir in berries until they’re coated with the mixture.

Remove crust from oven when lightly golden brown (about 10 minutes). Spoon berry mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining mixture on top and bake for 30 minutes.

Chill until room temperature, slice, and serve.

Notes:

• For a clean cut, consider chilling these bars in the fridge before slicing.
• You can add cinnamon, nutmeg or a pinch or salt to the crust, but I wanted to keep it super simple.
• These would be amazing served with vanilla ice cream.