Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar (nut-free) (2024)

February 6, 2017 | After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox

I love to make this slice if I need to use up over ripe fruit. I’m not a fan of using dried fruit (like dates/sultanas etc) in baking as I find it gives me a big sugar rush (followed by brain fog and energy slump) and I’ve also noticed my kids desire for sugar increases if they eat dried fruit. So I prefer to use fresh fruit in my baking and this Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar is one of my families favourite whole food treats.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 30 minutes minutes

Total 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 12

Nut and dried fruit-free, this Fruit Crumble Muesli Bar is a delicious, nourishing edition to any lunchbox. It freezes well also, so it's great to batch-bake.

Ingredients

Base / crumble

125 g butter or coconut oil -cubed
170 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (½ cup)
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
120 g mixed seeds (1 cup approx.) I used sunflower seeds and pepitas
120 g wholemealspeltflour (1 cup)
200 g rolled oats (2 cups) or quinoa flakes (or a mixture)
50 g desiccated coconut (½ cup)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling

1 cup your choice of seasonal fruit (fresh plum, apricot, nectarine, peach, berries, apple, pear, cherries) -finely diced or sliced
2 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (optional)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chia seeds

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉ (fan-forced).
In a small pot melt the butter and sweetener, mixing to combine. Add the bicarb and stir well.
I pulse the seeds in a food processor to break them up and make a finer slice (but you don’t have to).Mix the seeds, flour, oats (or quinoa), coconut and cinnamon in a bowl.
Add the butter/ sweetener mix and stirto combine.
Line a small tin (27cm x 18cm) with baking paper. Press ⅔ of the mixture into the base of the tin and press down firmly with wet hands and bake for 10 minutes. The remaining ⅓ will formthe crumble top (so set aside until after the fruit is ready).
Whilst this is baking, put all the filling ingredients into the small pot (that you used in the first stage, no need to wash). I’ve used cherries and plums in this photograph as they are in season right now
Simmer until the fruit starts to soften, stirring occasionally.
Once the base is cooked, top with the fruit mixture and with wet hands, place with the rest of the crumble over the fruit.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until just golden brown.
Allow to cool in the pan, refrigerate until firm and then cut into slices (cooling it allows for it to be sliced without crumbling).

Thermomix Method

Melt the butter and sweetener 1 minute, temp 90, speed 3or until melted and combined.Add the bicarb and mix 5 seconds speed 3. Set aside.
Pulse the seeds, turbo button 3-4 times (check through the lid after each pulse to chop as required). Add the rest of the crumble ingredients and the butter/sweetener and mix 15 seconds, speed 3. You may need to scrape the sides to fully combine.
The fillingcan also be cooked in the TMX, all of the ingredients into the bowl, temp 90, 100, reverse speed 1. The time depends upon the fruit (softer fruit needs less time), approx 3-5 minutes.
Assemble as above.

Store

Airtight in the fridge or freezer. You can pack in school lunch boxes from frozen. I also love this heated up with fresh cream – very indulgent!!

Slice gone 'green' (or flecked green)

You may have noticed that your seed containing cakes, slices or cookies turn or fleck 'green'. I can explain...Sunflower seeds contain chlorogenic acid which reacts with the baking powder and bicarb when it's heated and turns various shades of green when cooled. To reduce the ‘shrek-look’ you can reduce the baking powder or bicarb (by about a third) or add 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to the wet ingredients. But remember - even if they do turn green, they are completely safe to eat.

Variations

Gluten and grain-free

Substitute the spelt for gluten free flour and the oats with quinoa flakes (rolled quinoa).

Dairy-free

Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

Vegan

Choose rice malt or maple syrup as your sweetener. Substitute the butter with coconut oil.

Nutty

The seeds can be substituted with any nuts. I love this with chopped almonds and pecans or walnuts.

Fructose friendly

Choose rice malt syrup for your sweetener and low fructose fruits for the filling (raspberries, rhubarb is my fave).

Coconut-free

Replace the coconut with ¼ cup of ground seeds or nut meal (if nut free isn't important).

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