Pear and Blueberry Crumble Bars

By Tamika Woods on September 30, 2016 in Food

These gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free pear and blueberry crumble bars are a magical mix of sweet stewed fruits and crispy, zesty oats. They make use of seasonal fruits, so feel free to sub out the pears or blueberries for whatever you have an abundance of, or use frozen versions like I did with the blueberries. Note that these are ‘crumble’ bars, which means that they will crumble. If for some reason you don’t like getting covered with delicious blueberry mess, I suggest attacking with a plate and fork.

Gluten Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar Free

Ingredients

Fruit filling
700g fresh pears, cored and diced into 2cm cubes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup hot water

Crumble
1/2 cup brown rice or buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp maple syrup

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and grease a medium square or rectangular tin.
2. Add diced pear, lemon juice, cinnamon and one tablespoon of maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for around five minutes until the pear is just soft.
3. Add half of the cornstarch and water mixture to the pears and stir well for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add blueberries and the remainder of the cornstarch mixture. Stir for a few minutes until jammy and thickened. Set aside while you make the crumble.
5. In a large bowl, add all crumble ingredients and use your hands to rub together into crumbs. If the mixture is too dry, add one tablespoon of the cooked pears.
6. Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the base of the greased tin. Follow with a layer of the cooked pears, then blueberry mixture. Finally, crumble over the remaining crumble mixture and press down slightly.
7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until golden on top, then allow to cool completely before slicing.
8. Slice into squares and enjoy. These are delicious with a little extra lemon zest grated on top and will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

Makes around 10 slices.

Tamika Woods is a Bondi-based Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine student and recipe maker. She is the founder of Sproutly Stories, a health food website designed to encourage spending more time in the kitchen. Her wholesome recipe ideas inspire others to enjoy real food that is conveniently healthy. For more guilt-free recipes, check out www.sproutlystories.com.