It is blueberry season here in North Carolina, which means putting blueberries in everything! We picked a huge gallon of them two weekends in a row, and will probably go back to get some more to have a freezer stash. Our nineteen month old, Lily, picked so many blueberries herself, learning to only pick the blue and purple ones (she likes the tart pink ones too). The ones she picked ended up in her mouth instead of in our basket!
These delicious blueberry chia jam and oat crumble bars are deceptively simple to make. The oat and date crumble comes together in the food processor, and the homemade blueberry chia jam takes just a few minutes. Because they are naturally sweetened with fruit sugar, the blueberry flavor is fruity and clean. They taste light, fresh, and summery—healthy and wholesome enough that they can be eaten for breakfast, a filling snack, or dessert.
What makes these crumble bars healthy?
First of all—blueberries! Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits due to their extremely high levels of antioxidants, which reduce inflammation. They are also high in fiber and Vitamin C. Blueberries, and berries in general, have a lower sugar content than other fruits.
The crumble is made up of whole grain rolled oats and oat flour. Oats are very filling due to their fiber content, so this sweet treat will leave you satisfied and satiated. Oats are a source of resistant starch and prebiotic fiber, which feeds healthy gut bacteria. They also have vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and a decent amount of protein compared to a lot of other grains. Besides all of that, oats are delicious—I really don’t need an excuse to eat them daily!
These bars do not contain any refined sugar–they are naturally sweetened with fruit sugar from dates. Yes, dates are full of sugar, but they have a high fiber content to regular blood sugar levels. They are also contain lots of vitamins and minerals including potassium and magnesium, among others.
Chia seeds are a staple food for me. They are very high in fiber, have all-important Omega 3’s fatty acids, and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. Chia seeds also have a decent amount of protein.
Important ingredients—
— Blueberries are obviously the star of this show. Fresh blueberries are preferred, but frozen blueberries will work just as well! I am a big fan of frozen fruit since it’s flash frozen when it is ripe.
— Dates are another major component of this bake. Their natural sweetness, sticky texture, and caramel flavor make them the perfect binder and sweetener for the crumble. I have used both whole pitted dates and pre-made date paste—both work well. Pre-made date paste is conveniently packaged and shouldn’t require pre-soaking. Whole dates are just as easy to use, but they do need to be pitted, soaked, and drained prior to blending.
— Rolled oats and oat flour make up the bulk of the crust and crumble. Oats have a nice rustic texture that is great for crumbles. Homemade oat flour or store bought oat flour can be used, although I have found that store bought oat flour is milled finer than any oat flour I can make at home.
— Chia seeds are used to thicken the cooked blueberries to make a quick jam. If you don’t already have chia seeds in your pantry, I highly suggest adding them to different foods for a nutritional boost!
— Unrefined virgin coconut oil is used in this recipe. Virgin coconut oil is less processed than refined oil. Unrefined coconut oil retains the taste and smell of coconut—since a small amount is added to the crumble, you do not taste it.
A few things to note—
— These bars taste lightly sweetened. The chia jam does not call for sugar to be added to it. If you prefer things more sweet, a couple tablespoons of honey or maple syrup can be added to the chia jam. Dates are very sweet, but do not taste as sweet as something laden with refined sugar. For a sweeter crumble, more dates or liquid sweetener can be added. If more dates or sweeteners are added, additional water may not be needed.
— Pit, soak and drain the dates before using. If using whole dates, make sure they are pitted. Cover them with warm water and soak them for about ten minutes until softened. Drain the water completely before adding the dates to the food processor.
— The flavors are customizable. Cardamom and a pinch of nutmeg are the spices used in the crumble, but cinnamon would also work wonderfully. Lemon zest can be added to the chia jam for a bright citrus flavor. Lavender is another flavor that is great with blueberries.
HEALTHY BLUEBERRY CHIA JAM CRUMBLE BARS
Makes 9 large squares or 16 small squares
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BLUEBERRY CHIA JAM
- 2 cups (265 g) blueberries
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (28 g) chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE CRUST AND CRUMBLE
- 2 cups (160 g) rolled oats
- 2/3 cup (60 g) oat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 120 g pitted dates (roughly 1/2 cup or 6-7 whole pitted dates) or 120 g of pre-made date paste (6 tablespoons of date paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted
- 3-4 tablespoons water, as needed
- 1 tablespoon (5 g) unsweetened shredded coconut, for topping (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line an 8×8 square baking pan completely with parchment paper.
To make the chia jam, cook the blueberries, water, and vanilla extract on medium heat until simmering. Turn the heat to low, and partially cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the blueberries are easily smushed, roughly mash them. Turn the heat off, and stir in the chia seeds. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
If using whole pitted dates, cover them with warm water and soak for ten minutes. Drain the water completely and reserve the dates.
Add the oats, oat flour, sea salt, spices, and baking powder to a large food processor. Process the mixture until it’s all cohesive and the rolled oats are powdery and in very small pieces. Add the dates, vanilla extract, and coconut oil and process until the crumble comes together. If the mixture is too crumbly and won’t stick together, add a tablespoon of water at a time until it begins to clump around the blade.
Put 3/4 of the crumble into the pan, pressing and packing it to create a firm base. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.
Spread the chia jam evenly over the crust, and then sprinkle the remaining crumble over the top. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the crumbles. Bake for 24-26 minutes, until golden. Let the bars cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then lift the parchment paper on to a wire wrack. Cool completely before cutting.
Store in an airtight container. These are best stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, but they can be kept at room temperature for several days.
theheirloombaker.com 