Strawberry Blueberry Streusel Bars (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, vegan)
 
 
Celebrate the start of summer with easy allergen-free strawberry blueberry streusel bars full of sweet berry flavor and streusel crumb topping - perfect for picnics, bbq's, or as a sweet treat to stash into summer camp lunchboxes!
Jessica:
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: 9-12 bars
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces (2 cups) organic strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
  • 5 ounces (1 cup) organic blueberries
  • ¾ cups raw sugar (turbinado), divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend:
  • 1 cup (176 grams) organic sweet white rice flour
  • ¾ cup (93 grams) tapioca starch
  • ½ cup (69 grams) sorghum flour
  • ½ cup (89 grams) brown rice flour
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder, divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces (16 tablespoons) cold, non-dairy soy free butter
  • 3 ounces (3 tablespoons) date paste
  • 2 tablespoons canned chickpea (same as garbanzo) liquid (also known as aqua faba)
  • 1 teaspoon pure gluten free vanilla extract
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan (just enough for paper to stick). Line with parchment paper (to lift out easily) then grease again.
  2. Combine strawberries, blueberries, lemon juice, and ¼ cup sugar (remaining is for crust) in a bowl. Set aside to macerate while you make the crust and streusel.
  3. In a food processor, combine all flours, ½ teaspoon baking powder (save other ½ for later), kosher salt, non-dairy butter. Pulse 20-30 times (pulsing yields better results than leaving it on) until the mixture is moist and crumbly yet will form shape when squeezing some.
  4. Remove 1⅔ cup of crumbly mixture from the food processor. Set aside to use for streusel topping.
  5. To the rest of the mixture still in the food processor: add remaining ½ teaspoon baking powder, date paste, chick pea liquid, and vanilla extract. Mix until it just starts to form a dough.
  6. Press the dough (evenly) into the greased and lined pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. It will look a little puffy and not rise much. Leave the oven on.
  7. Strain the macerated fruit to remove all excess liquid (don’t throw away, it makes a great addition to lemonade or simple syrup base). Spread the fruit in an even layer across the par-baked crust. Squeeze some streusel topping in your hand to create larger formed bits to sprinkle evenly over the fruit, as well as some small amounts for a nice variety of texture. Sprinkle a little raw sugar on top if you like (optional). Place back in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes until the streusel topping is golden brown.
  8. Let it cool for 20-30 minutes before lifting out of the pan. I cut one (precut) sheet of parchment down the middle and crossed them over in the pan. It’s a little trickier to pull out yourself. I had to pinch two corners in each hand and quickly lift and transfer onto my cooling rack. To make this easier, simply use a whole sheet with at least ½ inch of overhang to grab on to.
  9. Slice into squares. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate any remaining bars. These bars will freeze well by wrapping each bar in plastic wrap (to prevent freezer burn) then place all in an air-tight freezer container good for up to 2 months.
  10. Variations:
  11. If using egg, swap chickpea liquid for 1 egg.
  12. Frozen berries can be used instead of fresh, or any other fruit with similar water content.
Recipe by From Jessica's Kitchen at http://fromjessicaskitchen.com/strawberry-blueberry-streusel-bars-gluten-free-dairy-free-nut-free-vegan-soy-free/