Chewy Fruit and Oat Bars

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• ½ cup butter
• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Step 1

Gently heat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and greasing a 10x14-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy. In another bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and allspice. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring well to combine. Then fold in the oats using a wooden spoon until everything is mixed. Press half of this oat mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan.

Step 2

Pop it in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. While that’s baking, get your strawberries and blueberries ready. When the crust is done, spread the fruit evenly over it, then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top. Gently press down the top layer to help it stick to the fruit and flatten it a bit.

Step 3

Return the dish to the oven and bake until the edges turn golden brown, around 20 to 25 minutes. Once it’s out, let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting them into 24 squares. Enjoy!