Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8×8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so the bars can be easily lifted out of the pan. Grease with butter or oil spray.

For the chia seed jam filling:
Add the berries, lemon juice, and sugar into a saucepan and stir on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it begins to bubble. The fruit should break apart and release liquid. Use the back of your spoon to press down on the blueberries and raspberries a little bit. Turn to medium-low, add the chia seeds, and continue to stir for an additional 10 minutes. It will thicken as you stir. Add the chopped almonds then set aside and allow to cool slightly.

For the crust and crumble:
In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, almond meal, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the coconut oil and brown sugar until fully combined. Stir in the almond extract and flax egg. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until combined.

To assemble:
Press ¾ of the oat crust into the baking pan so it covers the bottom. Spread the chia seed jam over the crust then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. These taste awesome both warm and cold.

Notes:
1. Use any berries you want for the jam. You can also just buy fruit preserves at the store.
2. You can sub all-purpose flour for both the oat flour and almond meal (1 ¼ cups total).
3. Make your own oat flour by processing oats in a food processor or blender until it reaches flour consistency. Almond meal can be made the same way (by using almonds).
4. Use gluten-free oats to make this recipe gluten free.
5. To make a flax egg mix 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2 ½ tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Use a real egg in place of a flax egg if you aren’t vegan.