Oatmeal Crumb Bars {Recipe!}

 I'm going to share a really easy recipe. Because who has time for complicated recipes? Well, I do. But I don't really have much of a life.

If you have a food processor and ten minutes, then you are halfway to bliss. These oatmeal bars (which were featured in my fourth of july post) taste healthy enough to eat for breakfast! 

 

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup almond flour (if you don't have this on hand, don't buy it because it's super expensive. You can use 1/3 cup almonds, 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, or 1/3 cup of additional flour. Just use what you have! This is a forgiving recipe)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Throw all of these ingredients in your food processor and give it a few pulses so that it's well blended.  Then add

• 1 stick of unsalted butter (cubed)

And whir it until the mixture clumps up and looks like this: 

Finally add

• 1 cup oatmeal

And give it three more pulses. Voila!

 

Take a 9x9 pan and line it with parchment (if you don't have parchment, use tin foil).  Spray or butter the parchment.  Then, take half your oatmeal mixture and smoosh it into the bottom of the pan. LIke, really smooth so that it makes a crust.

 

Then, get your filling. You can use pretty much anything - a pie filling or even jam will work (these are amazing with raspberry jam!)  I had some peach and blueberry pie filling left over from the weekend, so I wanted to use that up.  Spread the filing on your oatmeal crust, fairly thin but enough to make a delicious fruity layer. 

Scatter the remaining oatmeal crumb on top of the fruit. Gently press the topping into the fruit (no smooshing!)  Bake the bars in a 350* oven for 50-60 minutes. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. 

 

*If you don't have a food processor, you can still make these. Just whisk all the dry ingredients together, and then rub in the butter like you were making biscuits or pie dough.  Easy peasy!