Okay, let’s be honest here. We all are guilty of having fruit that sits in the fridge and gets a little too ripe. And then you let it just sit there because it’s too ripe to eat, but you don’t want to throw it out. Life gets busy, you go out for dinner, go to friends for BBQs—it’s okay! You’re not alone. We’ve all been there. Instead of throwing out that fruit, why not cook it down and create something with it? Well, I have the recipe for you! It’s really simple: Fruit Crumble Bars, vegan and gluten-free!
I’ve tried this recipe a few times, testing out different fruit combinations. I’m happy to say that every combination I tried worked. I did raspberry + rhubarb, blueberry + strawberry, and blueberry + raspberry (which are pictured). Depending on the fruit combination you use, you may need to add more chia seeds to help thicken up the filling.
I will be honest with you: these are called crumble bars for a reason. They will crumble. You have to let them cool completely, I;m talking a few hours, before you can cut them into bars that will hold. And as you can see from my pictures, they don’t completely hold their shape. But they’re super gorgeous and tasty. Top them with some vegan vanilla ice cream, or maybe some coconut whip cream and you have yourself a lovely dessert.
Want more dessert recipes? Check these vegan and gluten-free options!
I hope you enjoy these vegan gluten-free Fruit Crumble Bars!
- 4 cups fresh fruit, chopped*
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups Bob's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan butter, like Earth Balance, melted
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Begin by making the filling. Over medium heat, bring the rhubarb, raspberries, and sugar to a boil. Let the mixture cook until mostly all the rhubarb has lost it's shape, about 15 minutes.Â
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Take the fruit mixture off the heat and stir in the orange zest, vanilla, and chia seeds.
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While the filling is cooling (about 15 minutes), preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper.
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Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.Â
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Add the melted butter to the flour and oat mixture and mix well.
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Take 2/3 of the crumble and press it down into the prepared pan. Then spread the fruit mixture on top. Finally, place the remaining crumble on top of the filling.
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Bake in the oven for 55 minutes. Let cool completely (yes, I am talking a few hours) on a wire rack before cutting into slices.Â
* I've tried a few different variations, including rhubarb + raspberries; strawberries + blueberries; and (as photographed) raspberries + blueberries. Essentially, I use whatever fruit I have in the fridge!Â
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Wow, found this recipe on Pinterest & looking forward to trying it! Just wondering what you would substitute for the 1/2 cup sugar to make this refined sugar free?
I haven’t tried making this refined sugar free, but you could maybe try using maple syrup or agave in the fruit mix to sweeten and adding more chia seeds to help thicken it more. For the crumble, you could try coconut sugar — but unfortunately I can’t guarantee these substitutions will work!
This looks so good! I love that the chia seeds are the thickener! They are kind of like the berry seed texture anyways!
Thank you! Chia seeds are such a great way to thicken the berries while also packing in a little more nutrients. I was inspired by the jam recipes that use chia seeds instead of pectin!
I tried these using Erythritol as sweetener and I used coconut sugar in place of brown sugar and they turned out amazing! Something I can be happy about eating! I’m wondering if I can use frozen berries?
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, and happy to hear the substitutions worked! I haven’t tried the bars with frozen berries, but it should work! I would recommend either thawing them and straining some of the extra liquid, or adding more chia seeds to help thicken the mixture.
I’ve just made this…… wow it is absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing. Brings a whole new slice to my family. Love and thanks from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂
These bars look absolutely delicious! And, I love that they’re gluten free! What a wonderful, versatile recipe to keep handy!
Thanks Cathy! 🙂
This is PERFECT for summer berries! I wonder if maple syrup may work in place of the sugar? Do you think it needs to be granulated? If so, I will try with coconut sugar. Thx!
Thank you, Sharon! I haven’t tried using maple syrup in the fruit, but I’m sure it would be so yummy! I think it should work — and you could always add a tbsp more of chia seeds if needed! A reader said they used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in the oat crumble part and that it worked well!
Who doesn’t love a good berry crumble? These bars are so perfect for all the delicious seasonal berries, I definitely have to make them 🙂
I’ve noticed a few questions about sugar and if I may say, I’ve been in love with date sugar this year! It does add a brownish hue but it tastes so so good and isn’t refined, I’m obsessed!
Thank you! I have not tried date sugar, but I love dates so I definitely should! Thanks for the tip 🙂
When I returned to my son’s house for our yearly visit, I found the frozen fruit I had left last year. Perfect for this recipe! It was one huge clump so I’m not sure how many cups, maybe 5-6 though. So I stirred in a tsp of arrowroot just before adding the chia seeds. Turned out beautifully. I will be making this again soon. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And could use up the fruit 🙂 I hope you had a nice visit with your son!
Made these with black raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry. They were amazing!
That’s a delicious combo!! I’m so glad you liked them 🙂
OMG!! Made this with cherry and fig and even my dad loved it ! He’s very picky everyone raves about how good it was!
I’m so glad! Cherry and fig sounds like an amazing combo!
Hello! I’m trying this for thanksgiving and was wondering if it should be made the day of, and how long do they keep?
Hi Joy, If you make them the day of, make sure you allow a few hours for the bars to cool and set properly. I think they’re best made the evening before! They’ve never lasted more than a few days at my house, and the top and bottom will absorb moisture from the filling, making them soft after they sit for awhile. Hope you have a great thanksgiving!
I made these using blackberries apples & cherries using coconut oil in place of butter -they were fabulous -can’t keep away from eating them- today I am making it with apples- cinnamon & nutmeg & butter
I’m so glad 🙂 Those sound like amazing combos -thanks for sharing!
Today I made it with apples & strawberries coconut oil & agave instead of sugar to cook the fruit -great
Yum! That sounds delicious! Glad it worked 🙂
Can I substitute flaxseeds for the chia seeds? I’ve wanted to make this since I saw it but I have flaxseeds on hand. Thanks!
Hi Kelly, I haven’t used flaxseeds in something like this before so I can’t guarantee you’ll get the same results – sorry! I would try ground flaxseeds and start with 1 1/2 tbsp and add the rest if the fruit mixture hasn’t thickened enough. The flax will give a bit of a different texture. Let me know if you try it and if it works for you!
Amazing recipe! Thank you, this is a keeper!
I’m glad you like it! 🙂
This looks so good! Is it good with any other kinds of fruit?
Yes! It works great with a variety of fruit. People have used cherries and fig (yum!), a variety of fruit like strawberry, raspberries, blueberries, apples with cherries, and so on!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
I’d recommend eating them in the first couple of days!
I live in a household that has vegan and celiac friendly appetites. This recipe is delicious and satisfies my families cravings. Thank you! 😊
That’s great! Thank you so much for the review 🙂