Mixed Berry Crisp Bars (GF/DF)

This is one of those totally adaptable recipes that perfect to make and store in the fridge for a quick breakfast or snack or to make for a crowd for a summer party (FYI topped with vanilla ice cream it's heavenly.) These bars are a summer staple in my house. With that said, just like ice cream, there's no seasonal mandate on this one so it could easily be adapted and made into a fall/winter recipe as well if you switch up the fruits. 

I've been making this recipe for years with inspiration from one of my favorite food bloggers, Smitten Kitchen but I've since done some tinkering and made it firmly gluten-free and lower in sugar which fit my current eating preferences. 

Mixed Berry Crisp Bars

Ingredient:

1 c. whole grain old fashioned oats (gluten-free option)
1/2 c. (plus up to 2 Tbls extra) flour (gluten-free or whole wheat)
1/3 c. light brown sugar (coconut sugar is a great, lower glycemic option)
¼ tsp salt
6 Tbls unsalted butter (or coconut oil), melted
1 tsp cornstarch (optional, but helps firm up the filling)
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 tsp granulated sugar, divided (I use monk fruit sweetener)
1 cup small-diced rhubarb (about 2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced strawberries

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8x8” square baking pan with parchment paper. (No greasing needed.)

2. Wash and dice/cut the berries.

3. Dump the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt in the bottom of the baking pan and mix.

4. Pour melted butter/oil over the dry ingredients and stir until clumps form. If the clumps feel soft or look overly damp, add the remaining 2 Tbls of flour. Set aside ½ cup of the crumble mixture. Firmly press the rest of the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan. This is your crust of sorts so really pack it in there!

5. Spread half of the fruit over the crust. Sprinkle it evenly with cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1 tsp of granulated sugar. Spread the remaining fruit on top, and top with the other 1 tsp of sugar.

6. Scatter the crumb mixture you set aside over the fruit and bake for 30-40 minutes (firmer fruits will take longer), until the fruit is bubbly and crisp portion is golden and smells toasty and amazing.

7. Let the bars cool in the pan (you can do this in the fridge, which will crisp them up more quickly for cutting.) Once cooled, pull the parchment out and lay it on a flat surface to cut into bars. 

Store leftover bars in the fridge (if they make it that far!)