Spiced Blueberry Crumb Bars {grain-free}

New favorite summer dessert bar coming in hot! These Spiced Blueberry Crumb Bars are made grain-free using almond flour, sweetened with honey and maple syrup and bursting with juicy blueberry filling. We’re adding a little spice to the mix because that’s how we roll around here. 

Who’s ready for some healthy spiced blueberry crumb bars?!

My adult self loves these things but I probably wouldn’t have liked it as a kid because I didn’t eat much fruit or anything similar to fruit preserves. No PB&J, no jam on toast, NADA. I think the only fruit I ate was canned peaches and strawberries dipped in sugar. Goodness gracious I was pathetic. 

But thankfully throughout my teenage years I learned that fruit wasn’t so scary after all, and berries are easily one of my favorite foods now. And they’re fun to bake with.

AND you can make healthy desserts like these blueberry crumb bars, impressing all of your friends and family with this better-for-you alternative to the sugar loaded dessert bars you often come across at cookouts and parties. Nothing wrong with a little sugar, but there are definitely ways to make those traditional desserts healthier.

Spiced Blueberry Crumb Bars

For this healthy dessert bar recipe we’re talking:

• mostly fruit sweetened bars
• a little honey and maple syrup
• nutrient dense almonds

what you need

• almond flour (from blanched almonds, not raw almond meal)
• tapioca flour
• cinnamon
• ginger 
• cloves
• honey
• grass-fed butter (or ghee, coconut oil may work too)

How to make the blueberry crumb bars

• Make the crust by combining all of the dry ingredients with honey and melted butter; pre-bake the crust first.
• While the crust is baking, mix the blueberry mixture in a saucepan and allow it to cook down and thicken.
• Prepare the crumb topping and set aside
• Once the blueberry mixture has cooled, pour onto baked crust and top with crumb mixture.
• Bake bars for about 25 minutes, or until crumb topping is lightly golden.
• Be sure to chill the bars before cutting so they hold together better.

These blueberry crumb bars are definitely one of the best ways to put those blueberries to use, in my opinion

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below with a review to let me know what you think! And you can always find me on Instagram too #fitmittenkitchen.

Spiced Blueberry Crumb Bars {grain-free}

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• Author: Ashley
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars
• Category: dessert
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

for the crust

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 TBS tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3 TBSP honey
• 4 TBSP butter, melted

blueberry filling

• 2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen*
• 2 TBS maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1 1/2 TBSP tapioca flour

crumb topping

• 2/3 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 TBSP butter, melted
• sliced almonds for sprinkling on top, optional

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Instructions

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In large bowl whisky together melted butter with honey; add in almond flour, tapioca flour, and spices; mix with fork or spoon until combined. Press mixture into bottom of pan, making sure to press in even and flat – I like to use a pastry roller. Poke crust with toothpick to prevent bubbling. Bake for 9-12 minutes; edges should be lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
2.  Meanwhile prepare filling: In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm blueberries, maple syrup and and vanilla (or almond) extract; bring to simmer and continue cooking for 10 minutes, then stir in tapioca flour until combined and remove from heat. Allow mixture to stand for 10 minutes to thicken.
3. While the mixture is cooling, make the crumb topping: In medium bowl mix together almond flour, cinnamon and melted butter. Use pastry blender or hands to work butter into almond flour well. Mixture should hold together when pressed in between fingers, but it will not be wet.
4. Once blueberry mixture has thickened pour onto cooled crust; sprinkle on crumb topping and sliced almonds. Gently press crumb topping into mixture.
5. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until crumb topping is lightly golden. Allow pan to cool completely before lifting parchment paper out of pan and cutting bars. Bars will need to cool for almost an hour at room temperature, or chill in fridge for about 30-45 minutes.
6. Cut bars into 16 squares, serve at room temperature but leftovers should be stored in fridge.

Keywords: summer desserts, baking with blueberries, paleo dessert bars

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