AIP Blueberry Crumb Bars (Egg free, Low-carb)

(Note: I wrote this post prior to the birth of our beautiful daughter Alejandra, and am keeping it that way for sake of “flow.” However, rest assured I will have a birth update here soon! )

With my due date being 4 days away, I woke up knowing I needed to whip up an amazing summer recipe for all of my dedicated members before the baby arrives. While sometimes I like to use recipe development as an excuse to aimlessly roam the grocery store isles, looking for inspiration and new ingredients to feature, today’s recipe is one I created utilizing the bits and pieces of ingredients left in my cupboard and freezer. Lately, I’ve been on a major strawberry kick, however, with a couple bags of frozen blueberries in my freezer, I decided it was time to let them shine in a recipe. With a sweet, yet slightly tart filling and a topping with a subtle nutty sweetness from the tigernut flour, these bars are the perfect summer treat or mid-afternoon snack. Heck, they’d even be great as a breakfast treat! You may be surprised to see pureed green plantain in the crust. However, if you are a long time follower of Beyond the Bite, you know this is my secret weapon to creating autoimmune-friendly baked goods with superior taste and texture. What is even better is that plantains are incredibly cheap, at 50 cents per fruit, making them a great AIP ingredient to utilize. Overall, while the ingredient and recipe process may look lengthy, this recipe could not be easier. That being said, it is also quite versatile as you can make the filling with whatever berry or stone-fruit (such as peaches?) you have on hand. Enjoy!

AIP Blueberry Crumble Bars

Yields 9 square bars

Filling Ingredients

• 3 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp arrowroot flour

Crust Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tigernut flour
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening (or) coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup pureed green plantain
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Crumble Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tigernut flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp maple sugar
• 1 tbsp cold water

Process

• In a medium sauce pot, heat blueberries over medium heat until the juices have released and they are bubbling, then add in lemon juice and maple sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• In a small ramekin, mix together water and arrowroot slurry until smooth, then add it to the bubbling berry mixture, stirring until combined and mixture has thickened slightly, then set the mixture aside to cool.
• In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, pulse together the coconut flour, tigernut flour, maple sugar, and sea salt.
• Add in shortening, vanilla, and pureed plantain (see below for instructions), until combined, then slowly pour in the water until a smooth dough has formed.
• Transfer dough to a parchment lined 8×8 inch square baking pan, gently pressing down into an even layer.
• Place the pan in a 350 degree preheated oven and par-bake for 10 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, pule together the topping ingredients until a crumble has formed.
• Once the crust has par-baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and spread the berry filling over the top in an even layer, then sprinkle the crumble topping over the filling.
• Place the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the topping has just started to golden.

Notes: Make the plantain puree ahead of time by peeling and cutting a green plantain into large chunks. Process the plantain in a food processor until smooth and store in a covered container in the fridge until ready to use. For a lower-in-carbs version, sub tigernut flour for almond flour and use monk fruit sweetener in place of the maple sugar.

Romans 15:2 “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”