Blueberry Almond Crumble Bars

INGREDIENTS

Crumble Crust and Topping:

• ½ cup coconut oil, melted (100 g)
• 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 Tbsp water)
• ¼ cup brown sugar (32 g, packed)
• ¼ cup cane sugar (54 g)
• 1 tsp almond extract paste ( or 2 tsp almond extract)
• ½ cup rolled oats (46 g)
• 1 ¼ cup Gluten-Free 1:1 baking flour (can be subbed 1:1 for all-purpose flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup slivered almonds (for topping only)

Blueberry Filling:

• 1.5 cups Stahlbush Frozen Blueberries (188 g)
• 3 Tbsp sugar (45 g)
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (10 g)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Start by making the crumble crust and topping. Add the melted coconut oil, flax egg, brown sugar, cane sugar, and almond extract to a bowl and mix together. Then add in the oats and mix to coat in the wet ingredients. Finally, add in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until a thick somewhat crumbly dough forms.
• Line an 8*8 pan with parchment paper and press ¾ of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Then, add the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Add the ¼ cup of slivered almonds to the remaining ¼ of dough for the topping and set aside.
• While the crust is baking, make the blueberry filling. First add the arrowroot powder, water, and lemon juice to a small sauce pan and mix together to dissolve the arrowroot powder into a slurry. Then, add in the blueberries and sugar and mix together. Turn on the heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, the filling should thicken quite a bit- this takes about 5 minutes and it is best to stir frequently while it is cooking. Once you see it thickening, immediately remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• Remove the pan from the oven and top with the blueberry filling. Use a spatula to evenly spread the filling out over the crust.
• Next, add the remaining ¼ of dough with the almonds on top of the blueberry filling. Then, add the pan back to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the crust is cooked and just beginning to brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing. To make slicing easier, lift the parchment paper up to easily remove the crumble bars. Then, slice into 9 even pieces and serve!