Berry crumble bars have a buttery oat crust that also doubles as the topping. The filling is made from frozen mixed berries that are complimented by vanilla and cardamom. It's like summer pie only much easier!
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This easy cookie bar recipe is perfect for summer or anytime!
what are berry crumble bars?
Sweet frozen berries are cooked with vanilla and cardamom into a quick jam that is tucked between a buttery oatmeal crumble. An easy, no mixer recipe that's sure to become a favorite! The bars are soft, not too sweet and have a great chewy oatmeal texture.
how to make the jam filling with frozen berries, vanilla and cardamom
This simple jam comes together on the stovetop and can be prepared up to a day ahead of time. Cornstarch thickens it while vanilla and cardamom compliment the berries.
Start by placing the frozen berries in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the granulated sugar and cardamom and mix until combined. Use a fork to smush the berries a bit. {I used strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Leave some of the blackberries and blueberries whole, but smush the strawberries so you don't have large chunks of them in the cookie bars}.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, then add it and the vanilla to the mixed berries. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the oatmeal crumble.
what is cardamom and what does it taste like?
Cardamom is a spice with a complex and distinct flavor. It's a little citrusy and spicy {it comes from the ginger family} and it pairs really nicely with berries and oats. In my opinion, it has an exotic taste and a little goes a long way.
If you don't have cardamom, you can substitute it with equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg.
let's make the one bowl oatmeal crumble
This simple oatmeal crumble comes together in minutes with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Save aside a œ cup of the oat mixture.
Then press the remaining oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and spread the mixed berry filling over crust, leaving a small border along the edges. The crust will sink a little when you add the mixed berry jam layer.
Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the mixed berries. Return the pan to oven and bake until the edges are lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.
tips for making berry crumble bars
- Make the jam first to allow it to cool and thicken while you prepare the oatmeal crumble.
- Use any mixture of frozen berries that you like. If you would prefer to use fresh berries, that works too!
- Allow the bars to cool completely prior to cutting. I let them to cool at room temperature for a couple hours and then place them in the refrigerator. The chilled cookie bars cut much easier!
- Use old-fashioned oats. Instant or quick cooking oats are too powdery and will not give the oatmeal crumble the right texture.
- Serve with a big scoop of ice cream for an easy summer entertaining dessert. This cherry bourbon crumble ice cream is fantastic with them!
can I double this recipe?
Yes, simply double the ingredients and bake in a 9x13 baking pan.
how to store these oatmeal crumble bars
Store the bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I did take these berry crumble bars to the beach one hot day this summer. They held up fine for the first hour or two. After about 3 hours, in a covered container in the hot sun, the bars became very soft. They still tasted great, but they fell apart quite easily.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Berry Crumble Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
more fruit desserts to enjoy
- Blackberry Cherry Pie
- Cherry Nectarine Crostata
- Cinnamon Apple Crostata
- Cherry Shortcake
- No Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries and Mint
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a âïžâïžâïžâïžâïž star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
Berry Crumble Bars (with frozen berries)
Berry crumble cookie bars have a buttery oat crust that also doubles as the topping. The filling is made from frozen mixed berries that are complimented by vanilla and cardamom. It's like summer pie only much easier!
Ingredients
Mixed berry filling
- 12 ounces frozen mixed berries (340g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25g)
- Ÿ teaspoon cardamom*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16g)
- 2 tablespoons water (30mL)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (15mL)
Oatmeal Crumble
- Ÿ cup butter, melted (170g)âš
- œ cup brown sugar (100g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (95g)âš
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- œ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- For the mixed berry filling: place the frozen berries in a saucepan and warm over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and cardamom and mix until combined. Use a fork to smush the berries a bit. {If the frozen mixture has a lot of strawberries, be sure to smash them so they won’t be in large pieces in the crumble bars. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries can have some of the pieces left whole.}
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the water, then add it and the vanilla to the mixed berries. Bring to a low boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the oatmeal crumble. {can be prepared up to one day ahead, store covered in the refrigerator}
- For the oatmeal crumble: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Save aside a œ cup of the oat mixture. Then press the remaining oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and spread the mixed berry filling over crust, leaving a small border along the edges {the crust will sink a little as you add the berry filling}. Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the mixed berries. Return the pan to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
*If you LOVE cardamom, you can increase this amount to 1 teaspoon. Several of my testers liked this amount of cardamom, but a few others felt it was too overpowering. œ teaspoon is barely noticeable, so Ÿ was determined to be the right balance. If you don't have cardamom, you can substitute it with half cinnamon and half nutmeg.
Store and leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is an estimate and may not be entirely accurate.
Kathleen Pope
Ooo Tasia, can I come over, these look like summer itself! Love a delicious crumble bar!!
Tasia
Of course Kathleen; you are welcome anytime! :-). We can pair this berry crumble bar with that delicious blueberry limeade drink!
2pots2cook
What a four seasons treat ! And these berries ! Yummy !
Tasia
Thank you Davorka! The frozen berries really do make them perfect for any season.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Tasia, these bars look so luscious and tempting! I love that they don't appear to be overly sweet. I also definitely love the addition of nutty oats and aromatic cardamom here - great combination!
Tasia
Thank you Ben! The cardamom really does give these berry crumble bars a special touch. And you are right, I tried to keep the sugar level lower so the oats and berries really shine.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
They look delicious my friend! I would never say no to anything with "berry crumble" in the name. Yum!
Tasia
Thanks Katherine! I love any kind of crumble myself!
Christie
These berry crumble bars sound and look so good Tasia! I could down a few in a second!
Tasia
Haha! I know that feeling well! Thank you so much Christie!
P-and-P
It sounds great and looks delicious. đ
Tasia
Thank you!
Benji
This dessert is delicious. We like to add the full teaspoon of cardamom - it goes great with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Thank you for the recipe.
Tasia
Hi Benji, I'm so happy to hear you love this recipe! I crumbled some of the bars into homemade vanilla ice cream last summer and it made a delicious ice cream flavor. Thank you for making the bars and coming back to share.
Solao
Can you make this a day in advance?
I make a mix of different desserts for Christmas (we are with 25 people), so I try to do a few different flavours. I'm making Cheesecake, brownies, lemon sugar cookies, pecan pie and an apple frangipane cake. The one thing I'm missing is berry-related.
Could I make this the 23rd and serve it the 24th?
Tasia
Hi Solao, yes, these berry crumble bars will hold up in the refrigerator for several days so they are a perfect make ahead treat. Your dessert bar sounds absolutely delicious. Happy baking!
Kris Marie
Absolutely making these, most likely this weekend! I love your recipes!!
Tasia
Awww, thank you Kris!
Christina
Can these be frozen after baked?
Tasia
Hi Christina, I crumbled the bars into ice cream last summer. But I donât remember if I thawed some of them to eat after freezing.
I believe they will be okay. Fruit can always add extra moisture after itâs been frozen, so they may be a little more âwetâ after freezing, but I think they will still taste good. Please let me know how it goes!
Fran
Can I freeze these?
Tasia
H Fran, I crumbled the bars into ice cream last summer. But I donât remember if I thawed some of them to eat after freezing.
I believe they will be okay. Fruit can always add extra moisture after itâs been frozen, so they may be a little more âwetâ after freezing, but I think they will still taste good. Please let me know how it goes!
Hanna Park
Hi! These are incredible and I loved every bite. Any advice for subbing butter for coconut oil to be a little more health conscious? đ
Tasia
Hi Hanna, thank you for coming back to leave a review. I am so happy you loved these berry crumble bars! I have not tried substituting coconut oil, so I am unsure about the results. When I did an internet search on how to do that substitution there are a lot of tips; I would read through them and decide which one sounds best you. Let me know if you try it and how it goes! Happy baking!