Crumbly bars bursting with moist, blackberry flavor. The amount of honey listed will yield a very mildly sweet (and extra tart!) bar but can be adjusted to personal taste.
Yields: 9 bars
Blackberry Filling
18 oz. (510 g) fresh blackberries, divided
1 lemon, juiced
1 t. raw honey, warmed
½ t. vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Crust & Crumble
3 c (35°F). blanched almond flour
¾ c. tapioca starch
1 lemon, zest
½ t. sea salt
pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
6 T. grass-fed butter, cold and cubed to 1”
3 T. raw honey
1 pastured egg
½ c. raw sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F (165°C).
Make the filling: combine 12 oz. (340 g) blackberries with lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mash blackberries with a fork (watch for splatters!) and mix well. Add remaining 6 oz. (170.1 g) blackberries (do not mash), stir to combine, and set aside.
Make the crust & crumble: combine almond flour, tapioca starch, lemon zest, sea salt, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter, honey, and egg. Pulse again to combine. Dough will be crumbly; do not over-mix.
Assemble: move 2/3 of the dough to an 8x8” baking pan. Press into an even layer. Top with blackberry filling.
Add ½ c. sliced almonds to the remaining 1/3 dough remaining in the food processor. Pulse briefly to incorporate. Crumble over the blackberry filling in large chunks. Do not press in. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
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Blackberry crumble bars layer a jammy blackberry filling between an almond-flour crust and a buttery crumble studded with sliced almonds. The modest amount of honey keeps them gently sweet so the lemon and berries stay bright. Everything bakes in one pan and slices into nine generous bars.
Pro Tips
- Mash only 12 oz of the blackberries and fold in the remaining 6 oz whole - the mashed fruit builds the jammy base while the whole berries give bursts of texture.
- Keep the butter cold and the food processor pulses short; over-processed dough bakes into solid shortbread instead of a crumbly bar.
- Crumble the topping in large, loose chunks - pressing it down turns it into one solid lid.
- Cool the pan completely before slicing or the bars part along the berry seam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen blackberries?
Yes, but thaw and drain them first - the extra juice keeps the filling from setting into a sliceable layer.
How sweet are these crumble bars?
Deliberately mild and tart. For a sweeter bar, raise the honey in the filling to 1 1/2 tablespoons without changing the texture.
How should I store blackberry crumble bars?
Covered at room temperature for a day or refrigerated up to 4 days. Bring them back to room temperature before serving so the crust softens.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 325F. Make the filling: combine 12 oz. blackberries with lemon juice, honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Mash blackberries with a fork (watch for splatters!) and mix well.
- Add remaining 6 oz. blackberries (do not mash), stir to combine, and set aside. Make the crust & crumble: combine almond flour, tapioca starch, lemon zest, sea salt, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add butter, honey, and egg. Pulse again to combine. Dough will be crumbly; do not over-mix. Assemble: move 2/3 of the dough to an 8x8” baking pan. Press into an even layer.
- Top with blackberry filling.
- Add ½ c. sliced almonds to the remaining 1/3 dough remaining in the food processor. Pulse briefly to incorporate. Crumble over the blackberry filling in large chunks.
- Do not press in.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
