These blueberry bars bring the delight of a classic jam-filled, crumble fruit bar but in a more healthful way. Sweetened with whole fruit and a small amount of maple syrup, the result delivers a granola bar vibe. The bars’ nutty base has a lovely chew from dried fruit, jammy centers brimming with blueberry flavor and a crunchy maple-spiked crumble topping.
Make ahead: The blueberry mixture can be prepared and refrigerated at least 40 minutes and up to 3 days in advance.
Storage: Store lightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
Servings: 12 (makes one 8-inch square slab)
Directions
Active:
35 mins|
Total: 1 hour , plus 40 mins to cool the blueberries
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Step 1
Into a small saucepan, use a rasp grater to finely grate 1/2 teaspoon of zest from the orange. Cut the orange in half, then squeeze 1 tablespoon of the juice into the saucepan. (Reserve the remaining orange for another use.)
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Step 2
Add the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup to the orange mixture, and set over medium heat. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the blueberries collapse and the mixture thickens and reduces to about 2/3 cup, 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and refrigerate until completely cool, about 40 minutes.
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Step 3
While the blueberries are cooking and cooling, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with oil and line it with two strips of parchment long enough to have a generous overhang on all sides.
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Step 4
In a food processor, combine the walnuts and almonds, and process until finely ground and the texture resembles pebbly sand. Add the sunflower seeds, and pulse a few times to combine and break up the seeds a bit. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl; add the oats, flour, cinnamon and salt, and stir to thoroughly combine. (Don’t rinse the bowl of the food processor; you’ll use it again.)
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Step 5
Transfer about 1 cup (130 grams) of the nut-oat mixture to a medium bowl and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir to combine – this is the topping for the bars. (The remaining nut-oat mixture in the large bowl will be used for the base.)
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Step 6
In the bowl of the food processor – it’s okay if there are some ground nuts on the sides of the bowl – combine the prunes, the remaining 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of oil, the egg, the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup and the vanilla, and process until the mixture is mostly smooth but with some texture remaining. Transfer the prune mixture to the large bowl with the oat-nut mixture, and mix well with a wooden spoon, pressing the prune mixture to break it up and thoroughly combine it with the oat-nut mixture. This is your base for the bars.
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Step 7
Transfer the base mixture to the prepared baking dish. Place a piece of wax paper on top, and use your hands to press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Discard the wax paper.
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Step 8
Evenly spread the blueberry mixture over the base layer of the bars, then sprinkle with the oat topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment overhang to transfer the slab to a cutting board. Cut into 12 equal-size bars and serve.
Substitutions
In place of blueberries >> try raspberries or blackberries (strain out the seeds after cooking, if you’d like).
