Berry Crumble Bars

I used to get a berry crumble bar from a cafe near my old work, and I've finally perfected (in my humble opinion) a recipe that balances out the biscuity-ness of a crumble, with the sweet/tart of the berries, is free from flour, and can be sliced into bars for freezing, lunch boxes or a picnic. I'm absolutely obsessed + I know you will be too!

Ingredients

Crumble:

1.5 cups rolled oats

1.5 cups almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter,  melted

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla 

optional : 1 tbsp unflavoured collagen or protein powder

Berries:

3 cups mixed berries (I used a combo of blueberries + raspberries)

2 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a square baking pan (roughly 20x20cm) with baking paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to lift the bars out later.

2. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, almond meal and baking powder. If using, stir in the collagen or protein powder now.

3. Pour in the melted butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well with a spoon or your hands until the mixture looks like a clumpy, moist crumble that holds together when pressed.

4. Set aside about 1/3 of the crumble mixture for the topping. Tip the rest into the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer to form the base.

5. Bake the base in your oven for around 10 minutes. While this is baking, in a separate bowl, gently toss the mixed berries with the corn flour and lemon juice until the berries are evenly coated. If your berries are frozen, microwave until soft and defrosted (around 1 minute).

6. Take your tray out of the oven, then spread the berry mixture evenly over the crumble base. Scatter the reserved crumble mixture over the top, breaking it into small clumps as you go.

7. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the berry filling is bubbling around the edges.

8. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan (this helps the filling set so the bars slice cleanly). For best results, chill in the fridge for at least 60 minutes before slicing.

9. Lift the slab out using the baking paper overhang, then cut into bars or squares. Yum!