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Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars

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The last time I made something this fruit heavy was probably last fall (I’m basically on a permanent chocolate and cookie kick). But we love berries at our house. And blueberries have been on sale, which means we’ve been hoarding an abundance of them in our fridge. This also means that sometimes we don’t get to them in time before one of the little suckers starts growing mold. If I’m going to rush to eat a whole carton of blueberries, I want to put them in these Blueberry Crumble Bars.

These bars are seriously simple and will look like you spent more time on them than you will. You whip up an easy dough that will be the base and topping for these bars. Then you’ll toss your blueberries in a few things, put it all together and throw it in the oven! I promise it really is that simple. And they’re vegan and can easily be made gluten-free! In fact, my first recipe test for these was with an all-purpose GF flour blend. Still totally delicious. The base of these bars is sweet and chewy and the blueberry lime filling is perfectly tart. The crumble adds a bit of texture and really rounds it all out. I love these so much I actually ate three of them the day I baked them (it’s fine. they’re small)! I hope you love them, too – happy baking!

Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars
Makes 16 bars

Crust + Topping
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend)
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
Pinch of salt
Blueberry Filling
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice*
Zest from 1 lime* (optional)
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with olive oil – or other non-stick spray. Line sprayed dish with parchment paper, being sure to leave “handles” hanging over two of the edges.

2.) In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a large wooden spoon or spatula until just combined (mixture will be crumbly).

3.) Set aside 3/4 cup of the crumbly dough (for your topping). Firmly press the rest of the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish; set aside.

4.) Rinse your fresh blueberries and pat dry. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and tapioca starch until no longer lumpy. Add the blueberries and mix until fruit is well coated.

5.) Add the blueberry mixture to your baking dish, spreading the fruit in an even layer. Be sure to scrape any extra liquid into the dish. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of crumbly dough over the blueberries.

6.) Bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Allow your bars to cool completely before removing from the dish (using the parchment paper handles) to cut into squares. I cut mine four across and four down, which yields 16 bars. Store the bars in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bars can be frozen ahead of time and then thawed in the refrigerator – be sure to pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes to re-heat and serve fresh! Enjoy! 

*lemon will work just fine. I personally love the slight lime flavor that the zest adds to these!

Healthier Banana Blueberry Muffins (dairy-free!)

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At our house, we love a good muffin. And what’s not to like about a banana muffin topped with sweet, crumbly oats and bursting with blueberries?! The best part is that these are low in sugar, and I use low GI coconut sugar + unrefined honey to sweeten these bad boys. And my picky toddler loves them! For real though. She’s hit or miss on fresh blueberries, but these muffins get her every time. It’s a win-win!

These muffins are so easy to get together. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can use any granulated sugar. And if you only have all-purpose flour stocked in your pantry, then feel free to use only AP flour – I just prefer WWPF because it creates such a fluffy muffin! I throw in a bit of white whole wheat flour, too. It’s important that your ingredients are room temperature so your coconut oil stays liquid. And you don’t want to use frozen blueberries – I tried that once and ended up with blue muffins. Yes, the batter turned blue, and it wasn’t cute. Or appetizing. So fresh blueberries are the way to go! Happy baking!

Healthier Banana Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Muffins
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 medium ripe bananas (1 cup mashed banana)
1/2 cup almond milk, room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup + 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (washed and patted dry)
Oat Topping
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 Tbsp flour of your choice
2 Tbsp liquid coconut oil or melted vegan butter

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pan by adding paper liners or spraying with olive oil/nonstick spray.

2.) In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar and honey. Mash your bananas and add to the sugar mixture. Add the almond milk, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk with a fork until everything is totally combined.

3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add 1 cup of the blueberries and gently toss. Pour liquid ingredients into dry and gently fold until no flour pockets remain.

4) Fill muffin pan nearly to the top. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of blueberries on top of the muffins, slightly pressing the fruit into the batter; set aside.

5) Make your oat topping by combining the oats, coconut sugar, flour, and oil/vegan butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the unbaked muffins.

6.) Bake your muffins at 350°F for 17-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean or with small crumbs. Let baked muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.

Dairy-free Blueberry Hazelnut Galette

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I’ve always seen galettes as the cooler, more sophisticated older sister to a traditional fruit pie. I’ve been ogling them for so long it’s embarrassing, so I’m thrilled to report (after making my first galette!) that they are actually easy to throw together! Seriously. Galettes are so much easer than making a double crust fruit pie. And with their exposed fruit and rustic look, they’re just as enticing for any pie lover! Since rustic is the name of the game, you don’t even really have to worry about making them pretty!

For this Blueberry Galette, you’ll whip up the dough in a food processor or blender, mix your berries with a few ingredients, and build your galette by wrapping the dough up and over the filling – that’s it! You don’t have to make a pretty border, cut a lattice, or worry about perfectly positioning a top crust. You just fold the dough right over, making sure to smooth together any tears and voilà! You have a beautiful dessert reminiscent of homemade pie but with half the work!

Dairy-Free Blueberry Hazelnut Galette
Serves 6-8

Crust
1/3 cup hazelnuts (with skin on)
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3/4 tsp fine sea salt or table salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
~5 Tbsp ice cold water
Filling
2 cups fresh* blueberries, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch/flour (or 3/4 Tbsp corn starch)
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Egg Wash
1 large egg, beaten

1.) Add hazelnuts, flour, salt, and coconut sugar to a food processor or blender and blend until hazelnuts are ground to a fine meal. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp of ice water and blend, scraping down the sides as necessary. Continue adding ice water 1 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together (I ended up adding about 5 1/2 Tbsp of ice water).

2.) Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic and shape into a ball. Wrap dough ball in the plastic and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm enough to roll out.

3.) Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries with the tapioca starch, coconut sugar, and lemon juice; set aside.

4.) On a piece of parchment paper, roll your chilled dough out into a large circle about 1/8 – 1/4” thick (it can be a bit rectangular, too!). Use a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Pour blueberry mixture onto the middle of your rolled out crust, leaving ~1 1/2” of exposed crust at the edge for folding. Pour any extra liquid over the blueberries.

5.) Brush the exposed crust edge with the whisked egg and begin folding the entire edge over the blueberries. Work your way around the galette until you’ve folded it all up (don’t worry about it being perfect!), making sure to seal any holes or tears. Brush the top of the crust with egg and sprinkle with a bit of coconut sugar (optional).

6.) Gently transfer your galette (with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for around 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Let your galette cool a bit before topping it with your favorite ice cream. Slice and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.