Make the most of blueberry season with these delicious and easy (as pie) blueberry bars, which also happen to be free of gluten, dairy, soy, and all of the top eight most common food allergens. The crust mixture is the same as the crumble that gets sprinkled over the top, so you only need one bowl, and the jammy blueberry filling comes together in one saucepan. The delicious results can be served as dessert, packed as a snack for on the go, or even eaten for a quick breakfast with vegan vanilla yogurt. Enjoy!
For more allergen-free recipes and perspectives, visit Liz Fetchin’s blog, Octofree at octofree.com.
Gluten-Free, Vegan Jammy Blueberry Bars Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 8. servings
Equipment:
8X8” baking pan
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Ingredients
Spray olive oil for the pan
For the crust / crumble topping:
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
12 tbsp soy-free Earth Balance (measure after melting in the microwave)
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, washed, dried and stems removed
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line an 8X8” baking pan with parchment paper so the paper covers the bottom and sides of the pan and spray the paper with olive, canola or another non-soy-based oil to avoid sticking.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and stir to combine.
4. Add melted butter and vanilla and stir until a crumbly dough forms(don’t be afraid to use your hands).
5. Pour half of the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it until it forms an even layer covering the bottom of the pan only.
6. Place the remaining dough into the refrigerator.
7. Make the filling: Place the blueberries, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
8. Stir with a wooden spoon until blueberries start to liquefy and bubble, using the spoon to mash them a bit. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently so the blueberries don’t burn, until they resemble whole fruit jam.
9. Pour the blueberry mixture over the dough in the pan and spread it so it makes an even layer.
10. Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and crumble it over top of the blueberry filling.
11. Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and cool completely, then carefully pull out of the pan by the edges of the parchment paper, place on a cutting board and cut into eight bars.
13. Gluten-Free, Vegan Jammy Blueberry Bars stay delicious in the refrigerator for up to a week.
RECIPE & STORY BY LIZ FETCHIN / STYLING BY KEITH RECKER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF SWENSEN
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