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I try to be good about keeping homemade snacks in the house and avoiding processed food as much as possible. But let's be serious, prepackaged snacks are God's gift to parents (and kids!). I recently saw an Oh She Glows recipe for Raspberry Oat Crumble Squares made with homemade chia seed jam. At first glance, I thought it sounded like way too much work but I was wrong! Not only are these pretty simple to make, but are by far the best bar my entire family has ever tasted. These versatile bars are perfect for on the go, breakfast or dessert AND they are healthy!
You can make these with store bought jam and save yourself some time, however we had a fridge full of fresh picked black raspberries that I thought would be perfect. And the jam was so easy to make. I made it a couple days before making the bars since you need to let it cool completely. I have never made homemade jam before, but it is simple as can be:
Just place 3 cups berries in a medium saucepan. Add 3 Tbs maple syrup, one Tbs chia seeds and bring to low boil. Simmer over medium-low for about 15 minutes stirring frequently. I used a potato masher at the end to break apart any whole berries. This recipe calls for adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract once the jam is cooled. It is delicious either way!
Okay now on to the bars! I had my sous-chef with me for this part.
You will need:
-1 Tbs chia seeds
-1/4 c water
-1/3 c melted coconut oil
-1/4 c pure maple syrup
-2 Tbs brown rice syrup (could sub honey)
-1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c oat flour
1 c almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Allow for overhang since you will be lifting entire slab out once bars are cooled.
3. In a small cup mix together water and chia seeds to make a chia egg. Let sit a few minutes so seeds can expand.
4. In a large bowl mix melted oil, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, vanilla and chia egg. Stir until combined. I found that a whisk works well for this.
5. One by one, add the rolled oats, oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir after adding each ingredient and make sure mixture is well combined. The dough will come together as you continue mixing.
6. Set aside 1 cup of dough to use for topping.
7. Spoon the remaining dough onto the parchment lined pan and press down to spread evenly. It should cover the entire base of the pan.
8. Pour your jam (about 1 cup) on top of the oat mixture and spread evenly.
9. Crumble the remaining dough over the jam.
10. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is firm to touch.
11. Cool for at least 30 minutes and then place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
12. Once cooled you can lift parchment paper and slice into squares. You should have about 12 bars.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge for about one week. You can also freeze for up to 6 weeks.
