Frugal Foodie Mama: Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars

These Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars are just like your favorite blackberry crisp but in a deliciously plate-free/fork-free form...

**Updated with new photos 8/1/16.

I am coming at you all today with another delicious dessert recipe perfect for Mother's Day weekend. These Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars are sweet with a hint of tart lemon. They are just like your favorite blackberry crisp but in a deliciously plate-free/fork-free form.

Blackberry season always evokes for me memories of my childhood picking wild blackberries with my mother and grandmother. We would dress in long sleeves and pants (even in the heat of summer) and drive out to a spot that my grandmother had been told of. Then we would spend hours picking the sweet, juicy blackberries off the bushes into our buckets.

Okay, so not all of them actually made it into my bucket.... and my purple hued teeth and tongue may have given me away at times. ;)

But I have fond memories of foraging for the perfectly sweet ripe blackberries growing along the hillsides and thickets of my wild and wonderful West Virginia.

Those berry picking trips would result in pints of homemade blackberry jam from my grandmother and my mother's homemade blackberry pies which we all clamored for.

These moist and thick Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars are an homage to the two mothers that are most special in my life...

**One of the original photos from the 5/8/14 posting of this recipe.

Blackberry Lemon Almond-Oat Bars

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 22-26 minutes

Ingredients (12 bars)

For the blackberry lemon filling

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tsp cornstarch

For the almond-oat crust & topping

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, salt, & baking soda. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms.

Press a little more than half of the almond-oat dough into the prepared baking pan. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, mix together the blackberries, sugar, and lemon zest. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth. Pour the lemon juice/cornstarch mixture over the blackberries and mix well.

Spread the blackberry lemon filling evenly over the layer of almond-oat dough already pressed into the baking pan.

Crumble the remaining almond-oat dough over top of the blackberry filling. Spread with a rubber or silicone spatula slightly. The dough will not completely cover the blackberries, which is what you want- juicy blackberries peeking through the top of the bars!

Bake at 350 for 22-26 minutes or until the center is set and the crust is golden brown.

Although to cool to warm before cutting.

Store any leftovers covered at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!