Berry Oat Crumble Squares {GF, RSF, Vegan Option}

These bars are BERRY good. Good-tasting and good-for-you. Good enough for breakfast or a snack! Another dessert-esque recipe made healthy enough for breakfast, I'm starting to see a trend... (see my carrot cake or banana bread).

Let's talk about the wholesome ingredients these are made with...

OATS: Fiber, maganese, selenium, zinc...

COCONUT OIL: Increases HDL (the "good" cholesterol), boosts metabolism, great for skin and hair...

ALMOND FLOUR: Vitamin E, iron, healthy fats...

CINNAMON: Anti-inflammatory, fights heart disease, may lower risk of cancer*, boosts metabolism...

HONEY: Natural energy and memory booster, regulates blood sugar, boosts immune system...

BERRIES: Anti-oxidant, cancer-fighting, and raspberries have lots of fibre!

I could write a whole blog post about each one of these ingredients and their wonderful, nourishing properties.  Point being: these bars are made from wholesome, real ingredients that are good for you! Even though it seems like a snack bar, this is all real food.

Enjoy this simple recipe, coming together in less than 30 minutes! Tag me on Instagram and show me your re-creations!

Ingredients:

• 1 C Rolled Oats (certified GF if necessary)
• 1 C Almond flour
• Cinnamon & Pink Himalyan salt, to taste
• ¼ C Coconut oil, melted
• 1 T water
• 2 tablespoon Honey
• 2 C Berries (I used 1.5 raspberries, 0.5 blueberries)
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange (about 1 quarter of an orange)

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside 8x8 baking dish, or round dish. Line with parchment paper or grease with coconut oil.
2. Mix oats, almond flour, salt and cinnamon. Add in coconut oil and honey and stir. If mixture still seems a bit dry, add 1 tablespoon of water. Mix with your hands to make sure the honey and oil really mix well!
3. Pour ¾ of the oat mixture into your pan and press down to form the base/crust. (Tip: wet your hands and press down to make everything compact). Place in oven for 9 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare your fruit: rinse your berries, add a squeeze of fresh orange (any citrus would work), and some cinnamon.  Also, optional to add some coconut shreds to the remaining oat mixture.
5. When the crust is done, remove from oven and let sit for 2 minutes to form. Then, top with fruit mixture. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top of fruit.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, depending how crispy you like the crust.
6. Enjoy! Tag me and use #granoladiaries sharing your creations on Instagram!