Recipe by Heather Hardcastle
Photos by Erin Scott

Jammy, crunchy, fruity—these fruit bars are just plain scrumptious.

The key here is to wait until they’re chilled to cut them into tidy bars. The coconut oil must fully chill to be firm enough to hold them together. Use whatever berries, fresh or frozen, you have on hand or what you like most. I’ve made these bars with freshly picked blackberries and with a bag of frozen mixed berries from the freezer. Both work great. Or, if you’re feeling impatient, just scoop it out warm and top with vanilla ice cream (or non-dairy ice cream) for a delicious, if less tidy, fruit dessert.

Makes 9–12 bars; cook time: 40–45 minutes

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil. Spray the foil with baking spray and line the foil with parchment, cut to fit the size of the pan with a 1-inch overhang on all sides. The layer of foil will allow you to lift the bars out of the pan cleanly and the parchment will keep the bars from sticking to the foil.
2. Put rolled oats, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, walnuts, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Toss with your hands or a wooden spoon to combine. Add coconut oil and mix, using your hands or a wooden spoon, until the crumble mixture holds together in large clumps.
3. Spread two thirds of the crumble mixture in the bottom of the pan and press down firmly to create an even layer, making sure the mixture reaches into the corners as well. Spread the fruit preserves over the crust, leaving ½ inch of space around the edges. Scatter the berries over the jam. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble, leaving space so that the berries show through.
4. Bake for 40–45 minutes, rotating between upper and lower oven racks halfway through baking, until the bars are golden brown and the berries are bubbling. Allow to cool completely in the pan before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before cutting the bars.