Cherry Oat Bars
These cherry oat bars layer a baked oat crumble base with a cooked cherry filling and a reserved crumble topping. They are baked in an 8-inch square pan and cooled completely before slicing.
Oat Crumble
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
| All-purpose flour | 1 1/4 | Cups |
| Rolled oats | 1/2 | Cup |
| Salt | 1/4 | Teaspoon |
| Granulated sugar | 1/2 | Cup |
| Unsalted plant-based butter*, cold | 8 | Tablespoons |
| Almond extract | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Toasted almonds, chopped | 1/4 | Cup |
Cherry Filling
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
| Cherries, pitted | 1 1/2–2 | Cups |
| Lemon juice | 2 | Tablespoons |
| Lemon zest | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Orange juice | 1 | Tablespoon |
| Cornstarch | 2 | Tablespoons |
| Almond extract | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Vanilla extract | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Balsamic vinegar | 1 | Teaspoon |
| Fresh nutmeg | 1/8 | Teaspoon |
| Cinnamon | 1/4 | Teaspoon |
| Honey | 1 | Tablespoon |
| Granulated sugar | 2 | Teaspoons |
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the bars out after cooling.
- For the cherry filling, combine the cherries, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, cornstarch, almond extract, vanilla extract, balsamic vinegar, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey, and granulated sugar in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for about 5–8 minutes, stirring gently, until the cherries soften, release their juices, and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- For the oat crumble, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, salt, and granulated sugar. Cut in the cold unsalted plant-based butter until coarse crumbs form, then mix in the almond extract.
- Reserve about one-third of the crumble mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumble evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake the bottom crust for 10–12 minutes, until it looks set and the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- Spread the cherry filling evenly over the warm crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumble and toasted almonds over the top.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Let the bars cool completely before lifting them from the pan and slicing.
Notes & Tweaks
*I use unsalted plant-based butter when developing this recipe. Unsalted dairy butter can be used instead if preferred, unless otherwise noted.
