Blackberry Crumble Recipe

also know aa Blackberry Squares 🙂

Ah, the blackberry. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that when named, a wireless handheld device came to mind before the dark purple fruit. I seem to have lost my love for blackberries over the years; passing them over in the grocery store in favor of blueberries or raspberries. Can you relate? Well, when I came across 6 oz. packages of organic blackberries at Aldi for only 99 cents, I stood by them and really struggled with what to do. Can I pass up organic fruit for such a low price? Suddenly, I envisioned a fruity dessert using blackberries and walked out of the store with several packages in my cart. When I got home, I did some research….Did you know the blackberry has some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit? They are also loaded with vitamins and cancer fighting properties. I was glad I bought 8 packages!

Now for the dessert… I created a healthier version of a blackberry crumble recipe that can be made in a 13×9 pan for summertime gatherings. Along with 6 – 6 oz. packages of fresh blackberries, this recipe incorporates some of my favorites : rolled oats, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. What I especially love about this recipe is that it can easily be made gluten free and dairy free with substitutions. I made mine with coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour and Earth Balance butter instead of dairy butter. However you make it, the result will be a sweet and hearty oat square with tart blackberry filling.

Want to learn how to make my simple blackberry squares?

Come on in to my kitchen!

You’ll need basic ingredients like oats, brown sugar and spices, pecans, egg, butter and vanilla for the top and bottom crust of the squares. You’ll also need 1 cup of your preferred flour. For the filling, you will need 6 – 6 oz. packages of fresh blackberries, fresh lemon juice, sugar and either cornstarch or potato starch for thickening.

Start off by making your oat crust. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups oats, 1 cup flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

In a separate bowl, melt 1/2 cup butter (or butter substitute for dairy free) and add it to 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 beaten egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk it all together.

Bet you can guess what’s next! Pour your butter mixture into your oat mixture and stir until you get a moist oat crumble.

Press 2/3 of the oat crumble into a your favorite 13×9 pan and set it aside.

how to make blackberry topping for squares

Now for the blackberry filling! Get out a small saucepan and add your 6 – 6 oz. packages of rinsed blackberries. To that, add 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1/2 cup of white sugar.

Using medium heat, cook the filling down until the sugar melts and you see a beautiful deep red color on your spoon. It’s pretty amazing to see dark purple turn to dark red!

When the blackberry filling starts to gently boil, add 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch (or 3 Tablespoons potato starch) mixed with 4 Tablespoons water. Stir well just until the filling starts to thicken (the oven will finish off the thickening). Turn off the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Pour the hot filling onto your bottom crust. Almost done!

Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 oat mixture on top of the filling with your hands.

Bake the squares in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. This is a shot of the dessert just before I pulled it from the oven.

I took these blackberry squares to a church potluck and probably had 10 people ask me for the recipe. They are really delicious – not too sweet and full of goodness. Next time when you are at the store and those blackberries packages are staring back at you, think of this dessert. You just might fall in love with the blackberry all over again 🙂

Enjoy!

Blackberry Crumble Recipe