These easy peach raspberry oatmeal crumble bars use one buttery brown sugar dough for the crust and crumble, with fresh summer peaches and raspberries layered in between.
1cup (170g)chopped peaches(about 1 fresh peach; no need to peel)
1cup (120g)raspberries(no need to chop unless they're large)
2Tablespoons (24g)granulated sugar
2teaspoons (5g)cornstarch(or arrowroot starch)
Zest of one lemon (approximately one Tablespoon)(optional)
For the crust and oat crumble:
1/2cup (113g)unsalted butter
1/2cup (100g)brown sugar
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1/2teaspooncinnamon
1/4teaspoonsalt
1cup (90g)old-fashioned oats
1cup (125g)all-purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan well, and set aside.
For the peach raspberry filling:
Chop the peaches into bite size pieces (no need to peel). Layer with the raspberries in a 2-cup (475 ml) glass measuring cup like a Pyrex, or a medium bowl - you should have about a cup of each fruit, but it doesn't need to be exact.
In the measuring cup or bowl, toss the peaches and raspberries with the sugar, lemon zest, and corn starch or arrowroot starch until fruit is completely and evenly coated. Set aside.
For the crust and oat crumble:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in 15 second increments (or melt butter on the stove if desired). Whisk in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add the flour and oats to the bowl, and stir with a spatula until it's a well-mixed crumble mixture.
Assemble the bars:
Set aside 1/3 of the oat crumble mixture; pour the other 2/3 into the prepared pan and press into a flat even layer with your hands.
Pour the fruit mixture evenly over the crust layer. There shouldn't be excess liquid with the fruit but if there is, leave it behind.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 crumble mixture over top of the fruit as evenly as you can, but this isn't an exact science. Just make sure it all gets on top.
Bake for 35-37 minutes, until crumble and crust are golden and fruit may be bubbling, but it doesn't have to be. LET COOL COMPLETELY IN THE PAN (I often put it in the fridge to help it along) before lifting the parchment paper from the pan to remove the bars, otherwise they will fall apart.
Notes
Storage: the bars keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, although they will be quite soft. I recommend refrigerating them for best texture. Bars will keep, covered in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days. Baked bars can also be frozen, well-wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator before serving, or simply reheat in a 350 oven for 10-15 minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds. I like to freeze individual servings so I can have them any time of year.Double the recipe: use a 9x13" pan and double all of the ingredients. Bake for the same amount of time as directed!Make it gluten-free: you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix in place of the all-purpose flour, or grind 1 additional cup (90g) of rolled oats in a blender to make 1 cup of oat flour; use in place of the all-purpose flour.Make it vegan: use an equal amount of melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter in place of the melted butter.Oats: you can use quick oats instead of old fashioned oats, but do NOT use steel cut oats in this recipe; their texture will not work here.Frozen fruit: you CAN use frozen peaches and frozen raspberries instead of fresh fruit here, and you do not need to defrost them first unless the peach slices are very large. In that case, I would recommend thawing and chopping the peaches before using in the recipe so all of the fruit cooks evenly.