The filling is too runny. What did I do wrong?

Two potential issues: you didn't let the jam simmer for long enough to reduce the liquid, or you didn't let the chia seeds sit in the jam for 30 minutes to cool and thicken. Skipping either (or both) of these steps will result in a runny filling, which results in a wet crust and a very messy bar.

I followed all of the steps and my filling is still kind of runny. What should I do?

Depending on the moisture content of your raspberries and apples, the filling could still be too thin. If this happens, stir in 1 tbsp of corn starch or add another 1-2 tbsp of chia seeds.

Raspberry Crumble Bars - Crowded Kitchen

Description

Buttery, tart, sweet, crumbly - these raspberry crumble bars have it all! Did we mention they're vegan and gluten free?

Ingredients

Scale

Raspberry Jam Filling:

5 cups fresh raspberries (22-24 oz)
2 tbsp cane sugar
3 tbsp agave
1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
⅓ cup finely diced and peeled apple
5 tbsp chia seeds

Crust:

3 cups old fashioned whole rolled oats
1 cup sweet rice flour
½ cup almonds
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 ½ tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup vegan butter, chilled and finely diced
3 tbsp creamy almond butter

Topping (optional):

2 tbsp chopped almonds
1 tsp melted butter

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Instructions

Filling:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients except chia seeds to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Softly mash the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon to achieve jam-like consistency.
Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds. Let sit 30 minutes to cool and thicken.

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a food processor, pulse all dry ingredients (oats, flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt) until a crumbly mixture forms. Add wet ingredients (maple, vanilla and almond extract, butter and almond butter) and continue to pulse until well incorporated. You may need to transfer to a large mixing bowl and knead lightly before pressing into pan.
Press ½-⅔ of the mixture into an 8x8 parchment paper lined pan.

Combine:

Spread jam mixture over crust in an even layer. Sprinkle remaining crumble over the top. Bake for 25 minutes.
Melt 1 tsp butter and chop up 2 tbsp of almonds. After 25 minutes, remove bars from oven and sprinkle almonds over top.
Return to oven for additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing to let the bars set.

Notes

Butter: Be sure to chill the butter before mixing into the crumble. This is an essential step to create a flaky texture.

Chia: The chia seeds in this recipe team up with the pectin in the apples to create a beautiful jam texture. Be sure not to leave them out!

Almonds and almond butter: feel free to swap with another nut or nut butter of choice (peanuts or pecans would be great!). If you're allergic to nuts, you can use a seed butter instead (sunflower would probably taste best here).

Oats: be sure to use old fashioned whole rolled oats here, NOT quick cooking oats.

Apples: really any apple variety will work here, but we suggest green Granny Smith apples (which have a super high pectin content).

Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days (although these are best consumed within 2-3 days). Place parchment paper in between each layer to prevent sticking.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 Bar
Calories: 393
Sugar: 24 g
Sodium: 199.4 mg
Fat: 14.9 g
Carbohydrates: 57.7 g
Fiber: 8.9 g
Protein: 7.1 g