These crisp bars are the perfect dessert to take to summer parties! With an almost cookie-like crust followed by two layers of mixed fresh berries, they’re going to be calling your name from the oven…they smell SO GOOD.
Speaking of which, I know it’s (extremely) hot outside and asking you to turn on your oven is a lot — but I promise it’s worth it. Delicious taste aside, another major thing that these bars have going for them: all you need is one dish or pan — just the one you’ll be using to bake. So if it’s a little toasty in your kitchen like mine, you’ll be out of there in no time and clean up will be a breeze.
I love a good messy fruit crumble but especially in the summer, I’m all about desserts that I can make ahead and easily take with me. And that’s why I’ve already made these bars twice in the last few weeks — they’re adaptable, packable, freezable…unbeatable (okay I’ll stop).
I first made them with rhubarb and strawberries to take to a cookout (shout-out to David and Emily for being awesome hosts on their Brooklyn rooftop), and they were a big hit. So definitely try them with rhubarb if you come across any, but I think I might actually be partial to this mixed berry situation.
My take on Coconut Sugar
I like to use maple syrup or honey as the added sweetener in most of my homemade desserts. I’ve found that this adds more than enough sweetness and I figure since sugar works its way into so many of our foods nowadays, it’s a great idea to cut back when we can.
But liquid sweeteners don’t work well in every recipe, and these bars are one such example — so this is when I like to use coconut sugar. It’s made from coconut palm sap and the key benefit compared to your typical white sugar is that it’s much less processed.
You should be able to find coconut sugar at any grocery store (look for Wholesome brand) but if you can’t, I’d recommend subbing a good-quality brown sugar.
One-Dish Berry Crisp Bars
Ingredients
For the crust/crumble
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats - I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic
- ¾ cup (plus up to 2 tbsps) white whole-wheat flour
- ⅓ cup organic coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 6 tbsp melted unrefined coconut oil
For the filling
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp organic coconut sugar, divided
- 2 heaping cups fresh (ideally organic or local) berries of choice - I used a mix of strawberries, blueberries & raspberries*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line the bottom and two sides of an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan/dish** with parchment paper (I use unbleached) to create a ‘sling.’ (Or you can lightly grease the pan but the paper makes it really easy to remove the bars.)
- In the baking pan, mix the oats, 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pour melted oil over, and stir until clumps form. If the clumps feel soft or look too damp, add 1-2 more tablespoons flour. Remove 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. Using your hands or the back of a spatula, press the rest of the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the pan.
- Rinse and dry the fruit, discard any stems, and cut any large berries into small pieces (I cut my strawberries into ½-inch or so pieces, and left most of the blueberries and raspberries whole).
- Spread half the fruit over the crust. Use your hands to evenly sprinkle the starch over the fruit, then drizzle the lemon juice evenly over it, and sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of sugar on top. Make another layer with the rest of the fruit, and top with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Scatter reserved crumbs over fruit.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and the edges of the crust are brown and crispy.
- Place the pan immediately in the fridge to cool to help the crust firm up. Once cool, slice into 9 large bars or 16 small bars. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for a couple of months.
Mila
Delicious! I made these bars using a combination of raspberries, strawberries and blueberries for my coworkers. They were a huge hit!
Siobhan
Woohoo so happy to hear that!