It’s finally blueberry season in Texas and we have been waiting to get our hands on some fresh juicy blueberries all year. We thought what better way to celebrate the return of these berries than with a seasonal recipe featuring them in healthy crumble bars comparable to a delicious blueberry pie.

         Additionally, we wanted to make these crumble bars enjoyable by all. That’s why we chose to substitute regular wheat flour with the complementary flavor of coconut flour. Coconut flour breathes new flavor depth into this recipe while not taking away from any of the crumble-ness. Not to mention the array of added health benefits your body gets just from this simple alterntative. 

Tips & Facts

If you are unfamiliar with coconut flour and don’t know where to start, here are some quick tips and facts to help with your baking:

• When using coconut flour as a wheat substitute it is recommend to use ¼ cup of coconut flour for every cup of wheat flour, as well as 1 egg (or egg replacer) to help baked goods hold shape. 
• Due to the nature of coconut flour being light and fluffy, it is also highly absorbent. Moreover, when using it in any recipe (substitute or not) it’s recommend to use extra liquid or egg to help baked goods bind together easier.   
• Coconut flour is LOW CARB! A single 2 Tbsp serving has 4g of dietary fiber (14 percent DV), 2g of protein, and only 8g of carbohydrates (3 percent DV). Furthermore, it has a lower glycemic index than wheat flour and it’s rich fiber density helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Lastly, these bars are:

• Gluten free
• Vegan
• Keto friendly
• Rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber

Gluten Free Blueberry Crumble Bars

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Total Time: 50 min

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Combine the shortbread base and crumble topping ingredients in a food processor until they become well incpororated and crumbly in texture.
3. Combine the blueberry filling ingredients. If using frozen blueberries, microwave until thawed before mixing with other ingredients.
4. Take 3/4 of the shortbread mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of a greased 9×9 baking pan.
5. Spoon the blueberry mixture on top of the base.
6. Using your fingers, sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the blueberries.
7. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crumble is brown and the blueberry mixture is thick and bubbling.
8. Let cool before slicing into slices and serving warm or chilled.

Nutrition:
Calories 269 | Fat 13.7g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 268mg | Carbohydrates 35.4g | Fiber 3.1g | Sugars 24.8g | Protein 2.1g | Potassium 109mg | Calcium 20mg | Iron 2mg