Vegan (or not) Blueberry Apple Crumble Bars
Shortbread crust. Jammy fruit filling. Crumble topping. Vegan (or not). That is all. Jk lol. Seriously tho, these bars are a bit magical. They are just as delicious vegan as they are when made with butter. And that's not something I say willy-nilly. I love a blueberry-apple combo for the fruit filling, but you can use any fruit you fancy. Personally, I love a massive amount of crumble topping. When you whip this up, it may look like too much topping but trust me, tis not.
Servings: 24
Calories: 273kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup vegan butter or butter softened
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
Fruit Filling*
- 2 cups blueberries
- 4 small tart apples chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup vegan butter or butter softened and cut into cubes
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- For the shortbread crust, combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer and mix until just combined and crumbly.
- Press the shortbread mixture into the bottom of your baking dish in an even layer.
- Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until shortbread is just barely golden around the edges. Once baked, set aside to cool slightly.
- While the shortbread is baking, prepare the fruit filling by combining the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Ensure you stir to combine the fruit and sugar evenly.
- Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low boil. Turn head down to medium-low and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes.
- Give your cornstarch and water mixture a stir (the cornstarch will settle to the bottom of the bowl) and add it to the bubbling fruit mixture, stirring to combine. Continue on a low boil for a minute or so. The fruit mixture should have thickened and will look like pie filling. Set aside to cool slightly while you make your crumble mixture.
- To make the crumble topping, mix** all ingredients together in the same bowl as you made the shortbread. Mix until combined and the mixture looks like course crumbs.
- Pour your fruit filling over the shortbread crust and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the fruit in an even layer.
- Return baking dish to the oven and bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes or until the fruit mixture is very bubbly and the top is golden brown.
- Let cool completely before you cut into squares.
Notes
*You can use any equal amount fruit you like in the fruit filling (about 4-5 cups of fruit total).
**You can use a pastry cutter, handheld or stand mixer, or your hands to do this job.