Tart, sweet strawberry rhubarb filling nestled between a lightly sweetened crumble dough made from oats, almond flour, coconut oil and applesauce.
Makes 12 bars
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Add two cups of rolled oats to an upright blender, or food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, pulse the oats until ground down into a flour. Transfer to large bowl, add the remaining 1/2 cup rolled oats and the rest of the crumble ingredients. Using a spatula or your hand combine the ingredients until the dough begins to stick together. You want everything to be moist and come together. It can be slightly crumbly, hence the name.
Measure a heaping 1/2 cup of the dough for the topping and set aside. Spread the remaining dough evenly into the prepared pan. Press firmly and flatten into the bottom, sides, and corners. It may help to slightly oil or wet your fingers or spatula.
Wipe out the food processor and add the strawberries and rhubarb. If using frozen fruit make sure it is slightly thawed. Pulse 5-6 times until the fruit is broken down into small pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the arrowroot powder and lemon juice.
Spread the filling evenly over the crumble crust. Take the remaining crumble dough and use your fingers to break it up evenly over the fruit filling. Gently push the crumble dough into the filling to set. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let the bars cool completely before slicing.
They can be eaten cold or warmed up slightly. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This recipe calls for fresh or frozen fruit. I’ve tried it both ways based on what I had on hand and both worked well. If using frozen fruit, let the fruit thaw slightly before measuring it, as frozen fruit tends to take up more volume.
You can substitute other fruits, just know know some fruits require more or less starch to firm up. This shouldn’t make that much of a difference. However, this King Arthur Flour Pie Thickener Guide is a good reference for fruit to starch ratio.