Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars

Well, let's do a little Q&A and then I'll show you how to make 'em!

Can I make the jam filling with other fruit?

Yes! You can definitely sub out the strawberries for other berries (my blueberry jam, would be amazing in these)! The flavor opportunities are pretty endless here, so go nuts - in fact, adding some nuts would be pretty freaking awesome.

What can be substituted for the chia seeds?

You can either sub the chia seeds with the same amount of ground flax seeds if you have some on hand, otherwise, you can just omit the chia seeds. Just know that if you do this, you'll need to cook the jam a little longer to thicken it more and you'll end up with a bit less filling. 

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes! I've doubled it and put it in a 9x13 baking dish, it worked great!

Are Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars gluten-free?

Yes, as long as you use one of the GF flour options given on the ingredients list. 

Are these homemade jam bars healthy?

Well, there is butter in them, but they also have a lot of good-for-you ingredients inside between the oats and delish summer fruit, not to mention having a ton less sugar than many other treats. They're also 21 Day Fix approved and Weight Watchers friendly (you can find the WW personal points link in the recipe card, btw).

Are these berry crumb bars vegan?

As written they're not vegan. However, I've seen vegan pie crust recipes that sub the butter for cold, solid coconut oil and if you did that then I think you'd have some delish vegan dessert bars on your hands!

Can this recipe be made ahead?

Absolutely! In fact, while delish at any temp, I actually prefer them cold and almost always make them ahead! You could also just make the filling ahead if you prefer.

Can Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars be frozen?

I haven't frozen this particular recipe, but these should freeze beautifully 🙂

How to make Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars:

In a medium pot, whisk together the maple syrup and cornstarch. Then add the lemon juice, water and strawberries, mashing a bit as the berries cook (I love using my meat-breaker-upper thingy (affiliate link) for this - but you can also just use a spatula or a potato masher).

Once thickened, add the chia seeds and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and refrigerate while you make the dough.

To a large food processor (see recipe for option without food processor), add the oats, flour, salt and baking powder. Let it process for a minute or two to get everything blended well and to break down the oats a bit. Then add the butter.

Pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Then, with the processor on, add the ice water, at this point as soon as the mixture comes together (should be very quickly), turn off the food processor. 

It'll look like this:

Press ¾ of the dough onto the bottom of a square baking dish that's been sprayed with olive oil (or avocado oil, coconut oil, etc). Spread the jam on top of that, then add the blueberries.

Next, add the remaining crumb mixture to the top, breaking it up with your fingers as you go, then tuck in the apple stars so you can see them in between the crumb mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden and bubbly. You can eat it now, but it sets up best for easy cutting if you refrigerate it (I actually love it best cold anyway)! Enjoy!

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📖 Recipe

Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars

Yield: 9 Servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

These red, white and blue berry crumb bars are a fun and festive treat that the whole family will love!

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Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 lb strawberries, chopped
• 1 ½ Tbs fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• 2 ½ Tbs pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• 1 Tbs chia seeds* (optional, see note)

Crumb dough:

• 1 ⅔ cups oats (old fashioned or quick oats work fine - be sure to get certified GF oats if you need 'em!)
• ⅔ cup whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, gluten-free oat flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅜ teaspoon salt
• 6 Tbs very cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 ½ Tbs pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbs ice water

Remaining ingredients (optional)

• ½ cup blueberries
• 3-4 (⅛ - ¼ in) apple slices (I like to use granny smiths because they're more white in color than many other apples) cut into star shapes and soaked in lemon juice for a few minutes to prevent browning.

Instructions

Make the strawberry jam filling (this can be done ahead!):

In a medium pot, whisk together the maple syrup and cornstarch until smooth. Next whisk in the lemon juice and water, then add the chopped strawberries.

Cook over medium heat until the strawberries have broken down and the mixture has boiled and thickened, whisking and mashing the berries as they cook (I love using my ground meat chopper for this).

Once thickened, add the chia seeds and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat and stick it in the fridge to cool a bit while you make the dough.

Make the crumb dough:

Prepare a 8x8 (or 9x9) baking dish by spraying it with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray, set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium or large food processor (see notes section for non-food processor method), add the oats, flour, baking powder and salt then process for a minute or two to combine and to break down the oats a bit. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add the vanilla and maple syrup to the mixture and then, with the food processor running, slowly add the ice water until it comes together to form a soft dough.

Assemble:

Using your fingers, lightly press about ¾ of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish, making sure to fully cover the bottom of the dish. Spread the strawberry jam on top of that, then sprinkle with the blueberries. 

Next, sprinkle the remaining dough over the dish, breaking it up with your fingers as you go. I like to tuck in the apple stars last so I can make sure you can see them in between the crumb topping. Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the topping is crispy and golden brown. 

Cool and refrigerate, then cut into 9 squares. You CAN eat them right away if you can't resist, but it's best to let them set up in the fridge. Honestly, I love these best cold or at room temp anyway!

Notes

*No chia seeds on hand? They can be left out in a pinch, but you'll have to cook your strawberry mixture down a little longer to thicken it enough, leaving you with a little less filling (though still a delish result!)

How to make the dough without a food processor:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Next, add the cold butter pieces and using either a fork, pastry cutter, or two butter knives, cut the butter into the mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Stir the vanilla and maple syrup to the mixture and then, one tablespoon at a time, the ice water. Mix just until it comes together to form a soft dough.

21 Day Fix Container Counts per Serving: ⅓ Purple, 1 Yellow, 2 oil teaspoons and 2 sweetener tsp

Weight Watchers Personal Points: Red, White and Blue Berry Crumb Bars

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Stainless Steel Pastry Cutter, Heavy Duty
• 
  Ceramic Bakeware, 8x8 Baking Dish, Square Baking Pan, Reactive Glaze (Nebula Blue)
• 
  Hamilton Beach 12-cup Food Processor
• 
  Farberware Professional Nylon Meat Chopper
• 
  Mini Cookie Cutter set–24 Pieces

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 217Total Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 30g

Nutritional information provided is approximate and for informational purposes only.