Cherry Chia Jam Crumble Bars
Cherry chia jam crumble bars. These bars are made with nutritious ingredients, including dates, oats, walnuts, cherries and chia seeds. Top them with your favorite ice cream for a delicious summer snack or dessert.
Servings 9
Ingredients
Cherry Chia Jam
- 3 cups pitted cherries
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble
- 1 cup walnuts, raw
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or water)
Instructions
- Prepare the cherry chia jam: In a medium saucepan, bring the water and cherries to a boil over medium-high heat. Mash the cherries (you can leave a few pieces). Reduce heat to low-medium. Stir in the chia seeds and vanilla and let simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes or until the juices have been absorbed, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×9 inch glass dish with vegan butter. Set aside.
- Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet. Toast the walnuts for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and increase to 350°F.
- Add the toasted walnuts, dates, 2 cups of oats, melted vegan butter, maple (or water), vanilla and salt to a food processor and process until combined. The mixture should easily stick together when pressed. If it remains too crumbly, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until it sticks together. Add the remaining 1 cup of oats and process for a few seconds.
- Press the crumble mixture at the bottom of the greased dish, leaving 1 1/2 cups for topping. Spread the cherry chia jam evenly, then top with the remaining crumble mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered at 350°F. Let it cool completely before cutting. The bars will be delicate when warm. Serve the bars with your favorite ice cream.
Notes
For a nut-free option, you can replace the walnuts with toasted sunflower seeds.
You can make these bars with other fruits if preferred. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries work well. You can follow this recipe for the berry chia jam.
This recipe uses fresh cherries, but you can make them with pitted frozen cherries. The cook time might change.