Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars (Vegan GF)

Oaty, fruity and sticky sweet crumble bars with a chewy oat base, a quick homemade raspberry chia jam middle and a crumbly oat topping with added cacao nibs for crunch. Easy to make, these bars are naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.

There is something so satisfying about crumble bars, they are like warming crumble dessert but in a bar form that you can eat at any time of day! Not that you can’t eat a bowl of crumble all day long, but these bars are slightly easier to carry around!

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

I love using oats in a lot of my recipes – making them into oat flour or using them whole, they add such a delicious and wholesome flavour and texture. These Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars really celebrate oats as the star of the show. With a chewy base almost like a flapjack and a crumbly oaty topping – they are one for the oat lovers!

The recipe for the base and the top is the same which makes this recipe much easier to prepare and put together. Here’s what we need:

• Oats: the star of the show for sure! Use gluten-free oats if needed and I prefer the slightly larger ones, but you can use rolled oats, too. They really are so simple but so delicious.
• Ground almonds: I like the nutty texture and flavour that these add to the oat mixture. They are really fine so add to the mixture well and help bind the bars together.
• Vegan butter/margarine (or coconut oil): the same as with flapjacks, I think vegan butter or margarine works much better than coconut oil because of the flavour and texture, but feel free to use whatever you prefer. This melted butter/margarine/oil binds the bars and makes them crumbly and delicious.
• Maple syrup: this is naturally refined sugar-free, and the stickiness is key to bring the bars together. You could use other sticky syrup like brown rice syrup or vegan honey, too.
• Vanilla essence: for a wonderful sweet flavour but it is not essential if you have run out!
• Baking powder and salt: the baking powder adds a lovely light texture to the base and the salt is great for flavour.
• Cacao nibs: added to the final part of the oaty mixture to form the crumble, these add such a yummy chocolate element to these otherwise fruity bars. I love the crunch and the flavour they add!

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

I find it amazing how such simple and everyday ingredients can come together to form such delicious Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars. But there’s one more element and that is the raspberry middle layer:

• Raspberries: I first made these to celebrate the raspberry season here in the UK this summer and they taste even better when they are super fresh! I find that fresh is better than frozen – if starting with frozen berries, defrost them beforehand, discard some of the liquid (save it for another day) and continue! Mash these up and add in a few extra ingredients…
• Chia seeds: these are essential for the chia jam. The little seeds are so powerful and absorb so much liquid. They turn the mashed berries into a lovely thick and sticky jam.
• Maple syrup: a little goes a long way, but it adds a wonderful sticky texture and sweet edge to the berries.

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

That’s it! They are so easy to make; you just need two bowls: one for the chia jam and the second for the oaty mixture. The base is light, chewy and rich thanks to the oaty flapjack-ness texture. The middle layer is naturally sweet and sticky and so fruity and fresh. Top these Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars with a cacao nibs for a lovely chocolatey crunch.

I hope you love these wholesome, sweet and delicious bars, they are great for a midday snack, afternoon tea break or dessert with custard and ice cream. If you are looking for more bars, how about my:

• Chocolate and Pistachio Cookie Dough Bars
• Double Chocolate Tahini Fudge Bars
• Chocolate Oreo Flapjack
• Double Biscoff Caramel Bars
• Easy Vegan Rocky Road

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 6-8
• Time: 35 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Oaty, fruity and sticky sweet crumble bars with a chewy oat base, a quick homemade raspberry chia jam middle and a crumbly oat topping with added cacao nibs for crunch. Easy to make, these bars are naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients

• Fresh Raspberry Chia Jam
• 150g raspberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• For the Base and Topping
• 150g oats
• 50g ground almonds
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 55g vegan butter or margarine (or coconut oil), melted
• 60g maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 10g cacao nibs

Directions

1. Mash the raspberries with a fork, stir in the chia seeds and syrup and leave to rest for 10 minutes before preheating the oven to 160Fan/180*C. Line a loaf tin (about 10x20cm) with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the oats, ground almonds, baking powder, melted vegan butter/margarine, maple syrup and vanilla essence. Stir to a sticky mixture.
3. Pour 2/3 of the mix into the lined tin and press down firmly to form an even base layer. Top with the raspberries.
4. To the final 1/3 of the oaty mix, stir through the cacao nibs and sprinkle over the raspberries. Press down lightly and bake for 25 mins.
5. Allow to cool fully before removing from the dish and slicing into 6-8 bars or squares.

 

Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars

Let me know what you think of these Raspberry Oat and Cacao Nib Crumble Bars in the comments below and tag me in your bakes. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With raspberry crumbly bars of love x