Grain-free Blueberry Bars (Paleo)

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Ingredients:

Crust and crumb topping:

• ½ cup coconut sugar or regular sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/8 cup Otto's Naturals - Cassava Flour, 170-175 grams
• ¼ teaspoon salt (double if using unsalted butter)
• ½ cup very cold butter (8 Tablespoons or 1 stick of butter)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Berry filling:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries - or 10 oz if using frozen (thaw before using, no need to drain) •
• Juice of ½ a lemon (optional)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or regular sugar
• 2 teaspoons tapioca or arrowroot
• ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place parchment paper on the bottom of the 8x8 pan so that it hangs over the side of the pan. (This will make it way easier to remove the bars after cooking.)
3. In a medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, cassava flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture. (SUPER IMPORTANT: Make sure the butter is very cold.) Work with the dough until the pieces are very small. The dough will be crumbly. You can also pulse in a food processor until you get pea-sized crumbs.
5. In a separate measuring cup or small bowl, beat the egg and vanilla with a fork. Add to the flour mixture and combine until you have a crumbly mixture.
6. Press and pat down half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
7. Place in the refrigerator to keep cool while completing the next step.
8. In another bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and tapioca or arrowroot.
9. Stir in the blueberries and mix well.
10. Spoon the berry mixture evenly over the bottom crust.
11. Crumble the remaining crumb mixture over the top of the berry filling layer.
12. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden brown.
13. Allow to cool and then pop in the refrigerator to completely set up. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
14. Enjoy!

How to store blueberry bars

These bars are best served fresh, but store any leftovers in a closed container in the refrigerator.  Keep in mind that they could lose some of their crispiness after about a day, but they’re still delicious!  Expect a more tender and soft base and crumble when eating any leftovers.

Can I use Frozen Blueberries?

Yep, go for it! You can also use just about any berry you want. Or even mixed berries. Make them your own!