⅓cuppure maple syrup(optional: + 1-2 tbsp. if needed to make dough stick together)
¾cupnatural blueberry jamI used Smucker's Natural
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease all sides of a 8x8 baking dish with some butter or non-stick organic spray. Set aside.
Add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl (flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt.) Stir until evenly distributed.
Melt coconut oil in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Add pure maple syrup and coconut oil to the dry ingredients. Mix until ingredients start to form together. It should resemble sort of a crumble but stick together when pressed. Optional:If mixture is not sticking together, try stirring in another 1-2 tbsp. of maple syrup.
Press a little less than ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. You want to press firmly so the oats create a flat, even layer with no spaces for jam to spill through. I prefer to do this with a silicone spatula.
Spoon and spread the blueberry jam onto the bottom layer, making sure to leave ½ of an inch to 1 inch of space around all sides to prevent the jam from trickling down.
Sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the oat mixture evenly over top of the jam layer. Lightly press down with your hands or a silicone spatula so that the top oat layer adheres to the jam. This will prevent excessive crumbliness. Tip: Be sure to press firmly, but not so firmly that you squish the jam down the sides of the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until light golden in color. Tip: Since we are using coconut oil and not butter, the oats will stay a light golden color and not really brown.
Let cool completely in pan before cutting into 9 squares. Important: Bars will crumble and jam will spill out if you cut the mixture while still warm.
Enjoy!
Notes
* It's your choice whether you want to use refined or unrefined coconut oil. You can read more about it in my post, but unrefined coconut oil has a slight smell/taste of coconut and unrefined does not. I prefer to use organic unrefined because I don't mind the subtle flavor. This recipe is best eaten within 2-3 days at room temperature, and lasts for up to a week in the fridge. Note: Natural jams with large pieces of fruit will spoil faster at room temperature, so its best to only make what you can eat within a few days unless you plan to store it in the fridge.