Summer Fridays! Almond-Blueberry Pie Bars | dolly and oatmeal #glutenfree #vegan

happy summer friday! this week has been a little crazy in our family. frank and i have been upstate at my parents' house while they're out in LA for the birth of my nephew! i can't even think about how sad i am not to be there for his birth, so i'm not going to go into it for fear of dissolving into a pile of sobbing tears. i had every intention of feeling well enough to fly out there, but being so pregnant and achy and swollen i decided to sit this one out, sadly. plus, we just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary and i didn't really want to be 3,000 miles away from frank on that day.

we rang in 3 years of marriage the other day by having a marathon meal of a brunch at blue hill at stone barns. it was super. we feasted on some amazing dishes that were so creative and out-of-this world delicious that we're still talking about how we would ever re-create a gluten-free whole grain pasta dish with a hard boiled egg, charred beans with a silky almond sauce, and these wedges of summer squash with brown sugar, honey, and flaky salt - those were so good! i'm sure i'm missing a few meals, but it was definitely a special day. and to top it all off, the next night there were insane, tsunami-like thunderstorms that ushered in pink skies and this massive and beautiful rainbow! all-in-all country life has shown us a good time so far, and we're super happy to be breathing in all this fresh summer air!

but let's change gears a bit and talk about these pie bars! i packed some up and sent my parents off with a bunch as an airplane snack. when i spoke to my mom the next morning, she was eating one and telling me how well they held up for hours of being clunked around, and then kept out overnight. so, i'm happy to report that these babes are super resilient, and not as dainty and delicate as i thought they would be for travel. they're all that pie is: flaky, a bit salty, and gooey and slightly broken fruit. but this version is so much easier on prep. instead of making myself (and you) insane and preparing a pie crust in this humidity, i made a heartier, but still flaky, shortbread-like crust that's pressed into the baking pan. once the crust is par-baked, in goes the fruit, then it's topped off with a simple, but crumbly, crumble topping! these bars are ideal for any dessert situation, to take to a picnic, or, as it happens, on a long flight!

all the lovin' summer vibes! xo

Summer Fridays! Almond-Blueberry Pie Bars | dolly and oatmeal #vegan #glutenfree

almond-blueberry pie bars | v & gf

i haven't given it a go, but i suppose these could made with frozen blueberries as well. i call for fine brown rice flour here just to eliminate any course texture that regular brown rice flour can sometimes have. but if all you have on hand is regular brown rice that will work just as well.

| makes 16 bars |

topping

3/4 cup fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (gluten-free) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5-6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

crust

1 cup (gluten-free) old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons good maple syrup

filling

4 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of fine sea salt

Summer Fridays! Almond-Blueberry Pie Bars

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease an 8x8 square baking pan, then line it with parchment paper allowing enough excess over the sides (this makes it easier to remove the bars later on). set aside.
make the topping. with a fork, whisk together all of the ingredients except for the oil. a few tablespoons at a time, add the coconut oil until the mixture has some small and large crumbs (depending on if it's humid or dry, this takes anywhere from 5-6 tablespoons of oil). cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
make the crust. to an upright blender, or food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade, pulse the oats, flour, almonds, and salt. blend until the almonds are broken down into a "meal". transfer to a mixing bowl, add the coconut oil, and the maple syrup, squeeze the dough between your fingers, it should stick together, if it is too crumbly, add more oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough comes together. spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan and press firmly into the bottom, sides, and corners. bake for 6-8 minutes, until lightly golden.
while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. gently toss together the berries, sugar, arrowroot, lemon juice, and salt, set aside.
when the crust is finished par-baking, remove it from the oven and spread the filling evenly over the top. use your fingers to break up the topping and spread it evenly over the filling.
bake for 35-40 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling (if you can't see the filling, inset a sharp knife into the center, if it comes out with what looks like jam on it, then you know your filling it cooked!).
place pie bars on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before slicing into 16 squares. serve with your choice of vanilla ice cream (totally optional, but totally awesome!)
since it's just the 2 of us, i like to store these in a lidded container in the fridge so they don't go bad in the summer heat. they can be reheated or eaten at room temp.

enjoy!