Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars are packed with fresh summer berries and a hint of ginger. They’re incredibly easy to make (and eat!), plus they’re vegan and gluten free! You’re going to fall in love with these chewy, berry-loaded oatmeal crumb bars.
| gluten free + vegan + dairy free |
Can we agree that summer is all about the fresh berries?!
We’ve been eating through pounds of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries! So good mixed into yogurt, sliced on top of oatmeal or chia pudding, eaten plain, or baked into muffins, cobblers, or bars like these ones. I just might turn into a fruit. It’s so sad that in the winter months I rarely eat fruit. Here in Michigan, nothing grows in the winter, so all our fresh fruit is imported from Mexico, California, or God knows where else. I’m not okay with it.
Transit time takes a toll on the fruit, and the berries just aren’t ripe or sweet at all. Such a shame.
I told Josh the other day that if we moved to a year-round warm climate, I’d be at the farmer’s market every single day all year round. And then yes, I might really turn into a fruit.
I mean, we bought 4 pounds each of strawberries and blueberries EACH and they were GONE in a week. Between two of us. At least we’re getting our fiber!
These Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars are dreamy, dreamy, dreamy! And maybe just a little addicting. And just in time for 4th of July!! They’re
- packed with jammy blackberries
- infused with a hint of ginger and maple syrup
- chewy and thick
- oatmealy (that’s not a word; don’t go around repeating that!) and crumbly
- impossible to stop making and eating
They’re a take on last year’s Strawberry Bars (fair warning: the photos are really something terrible but the recipe is killer!). I honestly don’t bake with blackberries as much as I do blueberries or strawberries. But I eat them plain like they’re going out of style (or out of season in my case…). Ugh, and when fresh cherries come into season?!
Don’t even get me started. I might just make galettes all over the place.
Let me tell you about these Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars. They’re FAT and THICK and CHEWY – everything a giant oatmeal bar should be! I’ve made my fair share of oatmeal bars and sometimes there just isn’t enough substance to them. Like, I still want more. Not these guys. They’re SO thick and crumbly! I actually didn’t think they’d puff up so much, so I was really surprised when I opened the oven and saw how fat they were!
Hey, no complaints from me!
How to make Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars
You’ll need one bowl, an 8×8″ baking pan, and a saucepan for the berry jam filling. And that’s it!
The oatmeal base (and crumb topping) is simply a combination of certified gluten free oats and oat flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, spices, a flax egg, and coconut oil.
Just a note that you can definitely make your own oat flour from rolled oats if you can’t find it. Simply add oats into a high-powered blender and grind until you’ve got very fine oat flour.
The blackberry filling is easy, too. Just a ton of fresh berries, maple syrup, tapioca or arrowroot to thicken, fresh lemon juice to preserve the color and draw out the berry’s natural flavor, and more ginger!
The blackberries will get broken down on the stove to make a thick jam before you bake them. Don’t worry – it takes 5 minutes, and it’s totally worth it!
These blackberry bars will take about 35-40 minutes in the oven because they’re so dang thick, so I hope you’ve got some patience in the kitchen!
These bars are also far easier to cut when they’ve cooled completely, so you’ll want to leave them alone until they’re room temperature. I know – so hard to wait. I might’ve been pacing.
But the wait it seriously worth it because these healthy, easy oatmeal bars are about to the bars of your dreams!
Are these Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars healthy?
As my Nana always says, “You bet your bottom dollar!”.
Oats are incredibly high in fiber and a fantastic source of complex carbohydrates. Because of their high fiber content, they help regulate digestion and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. I definitely recommend certified gluten-free oats only because many of us adversely react to wheat, and regular oats are manufactured in facilities that also process wheat. Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite brand, and they’re easy to find!
Blackberries are a good source of antioxidants; they’re packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and fiber. Blackberries contain polyphenols which help fight against cancer, and high levels of manganese to boost brain health.
Fresh ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, alleviating muscle and joint pain. It also has anti-cancer properties, can regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and promote healthy digestion.
All the more reason to get into the kitchen and start working on these crumb bars.
Okay, so I’m curious what everyone has lined up for 4th of July celebrations!
We’re definitely planning on grilling here – maybe turkey burgers? Or vegetable kebabs?! Totally a grilled romaine Caesar salad. And for sure these Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars, but I’m also thinking about Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars (because all the berries).
Summer looks just like this: blackberry bars and grilling everything I can get my hands on.
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @well_fedsoul if you make them!
Pin these Vegan & Gluten Free Blackberry Crumb Bars!
These easy blackberry ginger oatmeal bars are chewy and thick, the perfect use for all your fresh summer berries!
- 2 c. gluten free oat flour
- 1 1/2 c. gluten free rolled oats
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2/3 c. coconut sugar
- 2/3 c. coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1 flax egg (or regular egg if not vegan)*
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 16 oz. fresh blackberries
- 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
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Preheat the oven to 350 and line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper, leaving "handles" overlapping the sides. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. To make the flax egg, stir together 1 Tbsp. flax seed with 2 Tbsp. water and allow to rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds, then cool slightly. Pour into the dry mixture along with the flax egg and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine.
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Press 3/4 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Reserve the remaining mixture.
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Add the blackberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, arrowroot powder, vanilla, and ginger to a small saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low; simmer 3-4 minutes, mashing some of the berries with a spatula. When some of the berries are broken down, remove from heat and cool a couple minutes.
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Pour the blackberry mixture over top the oatmeal mixture in the pan. Then, sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture over the bars.
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Bake the bars at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Cool completely before removing and slicing (unless you want a jammy mess!). Cut into 16 bars.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 225 Protein: 4g Carbs: 29g Fat: 11g Fiber: 4g
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