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granola bars

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

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Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

I was going to half this Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars recipe, but after looking at it decided to make the full recipe. Lemon, blueberry, oats, condensed milk. I knew this was going to be a good one!

And I was right. These bars are wonderful.

The filling turned a lovely lavender, mainly because I used frozen blueberries without thawing and drying them, but I like it. Makes ’em pretty. Use fresh blueberries if you have them since this is blueberry season.

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

The rather large amount of nutmeg in the base was a bit worrisome. But I like nutmeg, so went for it and am glad I did. It gives the bars a wonderful nutty flavor and really stands out. Don’t skimp on the nutmeg.

There’s more crumble than filling, but that’s OK by me. I’m planning on sprinkling a couple of spoonfuls of it over some vanilla ice cream (if there’s any leftovers).

The base layer is thick, kind of chewy and oat-y, then you get that delicious thin layer of almost a lemon cream with tons of blueberries. It’s topped off with the same combination of oats and butter, but it’s more crumbly.

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

Have you ever had one of those really soft granola bars that have a nice fruity layer in the middle? That’s kind of what these bars are like. Except homemade and better!

These Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars are wonderful. I found the recipe in my go-to cookbook 500 Best Cookies, Bars & Squares by Esther Brody. Every one of the nine recipes I’ve made from this book has been so unique and delicious. You can open the book up to any random page, close your eyes and point, and you’ll have picked a terrific recipe!

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

Others I’ve made from this cookbook that are posted on this site:

Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies (over half a million hits on Pinterest!)
Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti
Dreamy Krispie Toffee Squares
Cherry Bell Cookies
Chocolate Chip Meringue Bars

Try ’em all!

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars

Yield: 36 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Creamy Lemon Blueberry filling on a buttery oatmeal based and topped with a chewy crumble.

Ingredients

  • 3 C all-purpose flour
  • 2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 2/3 C packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 1/4 C butter
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • Filling:
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 C fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 C blueberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 13x9" pan with aluminum foil, extending ends by about three inches so the bars can be lifted out after cooled. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest. Add the butter and, with your fingers, cut the butter completely into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbles. (Butter should be pea-sized or smaller). Set 2 cups of the mixture aside.
  3. Add the lightly beaten egg to the remaining flour/butter mixture and mix until completely incorporated. Batter will be thick. Spread mixture into the bottom of the pan, pressing lightly and making sure it's evenly dispersed to the edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  4. Filling: In a stand mixing bowl, beat the egg, condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth and blended. Blend in flour, lemon zest, and the pinch of salt until incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.
  5. Spread filling evenly over the top of the base. Sprinkle with the reserved 2 cups of crumbles, making sure to spread evenly to the edges. Bake for 45 minutes until the top crumbles are lightly browned.
  6. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely, then carefully lift out the bars and cut to serve. Store in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I used frozen blueberries which turns the filling a pretty lavender.  Use fresh blueberries if you have them - they'll work fine.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Esther Brody
Category: Bars

Chewy Granola Bars

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When I don’t have time for a meal, one of my favorite go-to quick snacks is an oatmeal snack bar with mini chocolate chips. They’re great for a mid-morning break with coffee or whenever my stomach starts grumbling (which it does around 10:30 a.m. every morning).

My store-bought bars are really good.  I wanted to make some that are comparable, but know exactly what ingredients are in them.

These Chewy Granola Bars from Virginia Krites in the Taste of Home Baking Cookbook have some great ingredients – including honey, cinnamon, oats and crisp rice cereal (aka. Rice Krispies).

You can change the ingredients around by putting in what you have handy. I put chocolate chips, currants (leftover from an Irish Soda Bread recipe) and some homegrown front yard pecans.

I loved the crunch of the krispies along with the the chewy texture of the oatmeal. The honey and touch of cinnamon gave them such a different, deep, delicious flavor.

I’ll definitely be making these homemade Chewy Granola Bars again. They were fairly easy to make (grease that pan well, by the way) and they freeze well. The flavors, textures, and bits of chocolate make them perfect for a quick, delicious snack break.

And, most importantly, I know what’s in them!

Chewy Granola Bars

Chewy Granola Bars

Yield: 24 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Chocolate chips, crispy cereal along with chewy oatmeal and cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C butter, softened
  • 1 C packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 C granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 C quick-cooking oats
  • 1 1/4 C crisp rice cereal
  • 3/4 C chopped nuts
  • 1 C currants or raisins
  • 1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.  
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy (scrape down sides of bowl several times).  Add the honey, vanilla and egg; mix well.  
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture about 1/4 cup at a time.  Stir in the oats, cereal, nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips (if using).
  4. Spray or grease a 13x9x2" baking pan.  Pour the dough into the pan, patting down lightly to make sure it's of even thickness.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into bars.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

While your butter and sugars are getting fluffy in the mixer, stir the flour mixture together - it saves a little time.

These would be good with dried cranberries for the holidays.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Virginia Krites, Taste of Home Baking
Category: Snacks