Cherry Oat Bars (Gluten Free)
This delicious Cherry Oat Bars recipe has the added benefit of being gluten-free and relatively low in sugar.
It’s a rare day that we have packaged cookies in our home unless of course, it’s Girl Scout Cookie time and my husband runs into those green-clad cookie fairies, and then we’ll have (no joke) 10 boxes in our home. But, because the aforementioned husband easily consumes a box a day, they don’t stick around long.
During the holidays, we have many dozens of cookies in tins and containers throughout the kitchen. After Valentine’s Day, we have boxes and bags of chocolates to consume.
But on a normal, run of the mill day, our home is typically sweet treat deficient and the reason is simple; if we don’t have cookies in the home, I can’t eat them. My self-restraint is probably relatively average, but it declines precipitously when there are homemade cookies, pies or bars within reach.
There could be a bowl of M&Ms on the counter and I could walk by them every day and not have a single one. We have a half-gallon of ice cream in the freezer and I’m not the least bit tempted. And truthfully, there was no part of me that was even tempted to indulge when we were flush with Girl Scout Cookies last month (sorry gals). But if there is a homemade chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie in my home, I’m done for.
I wanted a little treat that would satisfy my sweet tooth, but still, be somewhat healthy. Enter these Cherry Oat Bars.
I’ve been playing around with this recipe for a while. My first attempts were tasty but yielded a crust that immediately crumbled. They were absolutely fine for eating on a plate with a fork, but I wanted something that I could hold with my fingers.
That not an easy thing to do if you are trying to avoid gluten. For all the eh-things about flour, it does create a great crust when mixed with a few other ingredients. These bars have a little bit of sugar and a little bit of palm shortening in the crust, which I feel helps create the sturdier crust. Chia seeds help thicken the filling without having to use much sugar.
While these cherry oat bars do have a sturdier crust, they will soften at room temperature over a couple of days. If they disappear in your home as quickly as they do in mine, that won’t be a problem, but I do keep mine refrigerated.
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Cherry Oat Bars - gluten free
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 cups frozen pitted cherries (or any other berry)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 TBS chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crust
- 1 cup oatmeal gluten-free if so desired (I use Bob's Red Mill Oats)
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup sugar I used palm sugar, but could use white sugar. Brown sugar or a liquid sweetener makes the crust soft
- 4 TB almond butter
- 1 flax egg 2 TBS water and 1 TBS ground flax, mixed and set aside for 5 minutes
- 2 TB refrigerated palm shortening I found coconut oil made the crust soft, but could probably use butter
- 2 TB Tapioca Flour I used (I use Bob's Red Mill Oats
For the crumb topping
- 1/4 cup oats I use Bob's Red Mill Oats
- 1/4 cup palm sugar
- 1/4 unsweetened shredded coconut (I use Bob's Red Mill )
- 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
- 2 TB refrigerated palm shortening
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the filling
- Combine cherries and maple syrup in small pan and heat on medium heat until bubbly.
- Lower your heat and let simmer for 5 minutes
- Add your chia seeds and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes
- Remove from the heat and add vanilla.
- Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.
- You can do this part in the evening and let it sit in your fridge overnight. The cooler the better. Typically, I start my cherries in the morning and end up finishing the recipe 4-5 hours later.
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350'F
- Place the oatmeal in your food processor and pulse until the flakes are about a quarter of the size they were originally
- Add remaining ingredients, except palm shortening, and pulse again until combined.
- Add palm shortening and pulse until just combined. You may have some little bits of the shortening still showing, but you don't want to overmix.
- Press your crust into a parchment paper lined, 8X8 baking dish. Really press it down and make sure it gets into all the corners.
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Remove and let cool completely before topping with cherries/ berries
For the crumble topping
- Combine all ingredients in your food processor
- Press into cherry mix
- Once assembled, put back into oven at 350' for 20 minutes.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Notes
If you like this post, I bet your cherry-loving self would love my recipe for a Cherry and Almond Cream Crostata.
Table of Contents
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Until next time…
Hugs,
These look wonderful! I am saving to Pinterest to try them later. I am visiting from the #HomeMattersParty #53 and hope that you will visit me too at http://www/portraits-by-nc.com/blogs
Hi Enzie, thanks for visiting. I hope you do enjoy the cherry bar!
I enjoyed browsing through your site and am envious of all your talent. Especially loved the multi-colored Cocker!
These look delicious – can’t wait to try them 🙂
Hi Sarah, oh, they are so yummy. Give them a try and thanks for stopping by today.
Lynn
I used to make something similar before omitting gluten, and I haven’t had anything like it since I changed my diet! Pinning this, I will whip some up, love the flavors together, and I’m sure they won’t last long around here either! I have missed these Cherry Bars! YUM!
They are pretty yummy Nikki…I’m feeling the need to whip some up soon to. We’ll have a virtual baking day!
I do want to thank you for putting the pin for this delicious recipe into the Pinterest Game. I love gluten free so will surely be pinning this.
I’m with you on the gluten free thing Kathleen. Whenever possible. I find it makes a big impact on my well being. Thanks for hosting the Pinterest game…I’ll be back. Lynn
Lynn, as I was browsing FTAF these totally jumped off the page at me! I can’t wait to try them, I’m sure my kids will LOVE! I think I’ll try blueberry because I have tons of frozen blueberries from the summer. 🙂 I’m picking these for my favorite this week!!
Thanks Chellie! I’m tickled to be one of your favorites this week and hope you and your kiddos enjoy them. I’m feeling a need to make some soon as well. Let me know how they are with the blueberries.
Hugs and wishes for a great weekend, Lynn
These look fabulous! I love anything with cherries and I like the addition of Chia seeds as well. Thank you for joining the Sunday Fitness and Food Link-Up 🙂 Have a Great Week!!
Hi Angela, so glad to have been able to attend your link party and looking forward to coming back. Thanks for visiting and I hope you like the Cherry Oat bars. Have a great week.
Lynn
These look lovely. I adore cherries and I love this healthy take on flapjack….. Yum!
Hi Kate, I love cherries too! One of my favorite fruits. And I had not thought of the flapjack connection…but you’re right. Thanks for stopping by to visit today.
Hugs, Lynn
Yum. These look delicious. I love treats that are also good for you. 🙂
Hi Eb, Thanks for swinging by today. It’s a good thing when ‘yummy’ and ‘good for you’ intersect and this is one of those good things. I hope you enjoy them.
Hugs, Lynn
Hi Eb, it’s a good and wonderful thing when ‘yummy’ and ‘good for you’ intersect!
Thanks for stopping by.
Lynn
This would make a wonderful & healthy snack for me to take to work!! Yum! I love all kinds of berries in them, so much energy! Now I don’t know if I’d be able to have them looking like this! So delicious!!