Whole Wheat Jamberry Crumble Bars

This recipe was inspired by Jamberry, by Bruce Degen. To learn more about the book and see all our Jamberry activies, click here. 

Jamberry celebrates all things berry, from strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries to hatberries, shoeberries, and canoeberries. So it is only fitting that this week's recipe be centered around the beautiful fruits of early summer. 

Normally, the words 'whole wheat' elicit a definate blech from kids. But in this recipe, half of the whole wheat comes in the form of old-fashioned oats, and half from whole wheat flour. It adds a perfect nuttiness that balances the sweetness of the jam. 

Now for the scrumptious, sweet filling of the bars: jam of course! The best part is that you can use any type of berry jam you like, homemade or storebought.

Young Readers Can Help:

• Measure and stir together the oat mixture
• Pat the crust into the pan
• Spread the jam over prepared crust
• Sprinkle to crumb over the jam

Whole Wheat Jamberry Crumble Bars

makes a 8x8 inch pan, about 9 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry preserves (we used seedless blackberry)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8x8-inch pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except preserves, until the mixture is crumbly. 
   
   
   
   
3. Reserve 1 cup oat mixture. Using hands or a rubber spatula, pat remaining oat mixture into prepared pan. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Spread preserves evenly over bottom crust. 
   
   
   
   
5. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over preserves layer.  
   
   
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top crust is lightly golden brown. 
   
   
   
   
7. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen. Slice bars and remove from pan, and let cool completely. 
   
   

 

You might also enjoy the Jamberry art project, Pop Art Jamberry Prints. Here's a preview:

Comments

[Didi]

These look wonderful! I'm pinning this recipe, and can't wait to make these with my kiddo.

[Lexie]

Thanks for the comment! They are quite delicious. Hope you enjoy making these with your little one.
And thank you for the Pin!

[Theresa @ Two Much Fun]

Thank you for posting this delicious recipe. This afternoon I was able to capture part of my daughter (28-months) making these with my dad (her grandpa). They had so much fun making these together. It was a wonderful bonding experience for the two of them. I also noticed a lot of determined concentration and excellent fine motor practice for my daughter while she was combining the ingredients. Thank you for creating a wonderful afternoon for my family.

[Lexie]

Hi Theresa, thank you for your encouraging words! It really made our day to hear that your dad and daughter shared the experience of making these together. Yours is the first about actually trying one of our activities, so thank you for sharing!

[Amy]

I featured your post on my Kid's Co-op Favorites post. Thanks for linking up!