Berry Crumb Bars with Lemon Glaze (Almond Flour)

Dairy and grain free Berry Crumble Bars made with a sweet yet tart triple berry jam, sandwiched in between the perfect shortbread crust and crumble topping. These bars are made with plenty of fresh berries and lemon juice, sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Crust:
1½ cups almond flour
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Triple Berry Jam:
1 pt blueberries
6 oz blackberries
6 oz raspberries
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 lemon, freshly zested
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (~ 1 lemon)
1½ Tbsp. arrowroot starch

Crumb Topping:
1¼ cups almond flour
¼ tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Lemon Glaze:
½ cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered)
1-2 Tbsp. almond milk
1 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and line an 8x8" square baking dish with parchment paper.

Make the Crust:
Add the almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined and you have a slightly sticky dough. Press the dough into the lined baking dish in an even layer. Use a fork to poke holes in the top of the crust to allow seam to vent. Bake the crust in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden and then remove from the oven and set aside.

Make the Crumb Topping:
Add the almond flour, salt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and coconut oil to a mixing bowl. Stir until everything is well combined. Set aside.

Make the Triple Berry Jam:
Add the blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to a small non-stick pot. Bring the berries to a boil and let them cook for 10 minutes. While the berries are cooking, whisk together the lemon juice and arrowroot starch until well combined. Once the berries have cooked, remove them from the heat and stir in the arrowroot starch slurry until well combined and the berries have thickened.

Make the Lemon Glaze:
whisk together the powdered sugar, almond milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined and smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the Bars:
Pour the thickened berry jam over the par-baked crust and spread out into an even layer, ensuring that all of the crust is covered. Next, use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the jam.

Bake the bars in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the jam is bubbly around the edges and the top is golden brown. Let the bars cool completely before slicing into 12 bars and drizzling with the lemon glaze.

Makes 12 bars.