Blackberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Oh, summertime let me count the ways I love you. Yes, I know I live in the mountains, but summer is by far my favorite season. I am from San Diego! From beach days, warm nights to a endless flow of berries I just don’t want summer to end. I should mention there’s always a steady flow of berries in our house. Lately I’ve been loving blackberries and raspberries. While our berries come from California’s central valley I can’t help but think of Oregon Berries from the Willamette Valley Fruit Co.

With an endless flow of berries and BBQs to attend I’ve been making some sweet treats like this galette and tart! When there’s a party, picnic or BBQ you better believe I’m bringing a treat, of some sort, to share.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. On Sundays I make a treat for the hubby and I. Typically I give him a few options and let him pick. He’s a total berry guy so he was on board with Blackberry Crumble Bars. Such an easy guy.

Blackberry Crumble Bars are sweet enough for dessert [of course, with a scoop of ice cream], but you can also enjoy a slice with a latte in morning without feeling guilty. Now that’s a winning dish!

One should note the Blackberry Crumble Bars travel well making them a perfect treat to take to any summer party.

Without further adieu….

Blackberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars 
Makes 8 Bars

Ingredients

Crust and Crumble Topping 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch salt, optional and to taste

Blueberry Layer 
2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp  cornstarch

Directions


Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.

Crust and Crumble Topping – In a large, melt the butter. Add the flour, oats, sugars, optional salt, and stir and combine. Set 1 cup mixture aside to be used as crumble topping.

Pour remaining mixture to prepared pan, and press the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.

Blueberry Layer – In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Distribute blackberry mixture evenly over the crust. Next sprinkle with the reserved crumble topping mixture. Before sprinkling, create bigger crumble pieces to form by squeezing the mixture together.
Bake for about 45-55 minutes [depending on if you used fresh or frozen berries], or until edges are set and center has just set.

Pro tip: Place pan on a wire rack and allow bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. If you try to slice bars before they’ve cooled completely, they’ll be extremely messy and could fall apart. 

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite berry dish?

Psst…The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission sponsored this post. Opinions are 100% my own.