Berry Crumble Bars

I had some blueberries and strawberries that needed to be used up and what better way to do that than make some delicious dessert bars. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before that my kids go in spurts with eating fresh fruit. Sometimes it’s gone in days and other times, I’m looking for ways to use it before it goes back. They’re in one of their “not really liking fresh fruit” phases.

These bars are delicious! Not only are the packed full of strawberries and blueberries (you could use any berries you like), they have a crumbly oat topping. So good!

Crust

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

Berry Layer

4 1/2 cups mixed berries

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang around all sides. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, cinnamon, oats and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in eh melted butter and egg. The mixture should resemble wet sand. Transfer 1 1/2 cups to another bowl for the topping. Pour the remaining mixture into the prepared pan. Press down to make a crust. Set aside.

To make the berry layer, combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch in a large bowl. Gently fold until the berries are coated. Spread the mixture over the crust evenly. Take the reserved oatmeal mixture and crumble it evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the berries are bubbly. Place the pan on wire rack and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to continue cooling, about 4 hours.

When the bars are cool, pull the dessert out of the pan using the parchment paper handles. Slice into the desired sized bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Source: Just so Tasty.