In one of the cookbooks in my library is a gorgeous picture of Raspberry Streusel Bars. That photo taunts me every time I flip through the pages of this particular book. Today I decided it was time to put together my own recipe.

I was delighted when they turned out not only pretty, but also incredibly good. 

Please note: A friend of mine tried this recipe with xylitol and found the bars turned out too moist. I’ll be working to figure out how to fix this. To make these sugar free: Use Xylitol in the crust portion of the recipe. Then sweeten the raspberry filling with stevia to taste. Then sprinkle 1 packet of Stevie in with the topping instead of granulated sugar. This is all to taste (Be Brave! You can do it . Taste testing as you cook/ bake is the best and only want to go!)

Also I would like to note that any berry variety will work in this recipe. Also, feel free to add in some extra flavor oomph. For example alcohol could be added to the fruit  filling. Grand Marnier, Rum, or Amaretto would taste great. (Add just a TBS or so if you do). I also often like to add in lemon or orange zest (or just some lemon juice).

Raspberry Streusel Bars

Crust

2 Cups Blanched Almond Flour 
3 1/2 TBS Coconut Oil/Melted Butter/ Earth Balance / Ghee  or other oil of choice.
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar  (Organic Cane, Xylitol or turbinado) * The other unrefined sugars will darken the color of the crust. If this doesn’t bother you feel free to use any of them. The key here is that it must be a granulated variety.
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Baking Powder (I use double acting)
1 TBS Vanilla Extract

Filling

Streusel Topping

(This streusel recipe is a general outline. Feel free to customize it. Any combo of nuts/seeds and almond flour will taste great! The coconut flour adds a nice extra bit of texture)

Directions

1. Combine crust ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. (This can also be done by hand). Place a piece of parchment paper in a 6×6  pan so that it also covers the sides. (This parchment will be your means of removing the bars when they are done).  Press the Crumbly shortbread dough into the bottom of the pan evenly. Par bake  at 350 for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, create the filling. Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a very gentle boil. Remove from heat. Give it  a taste test and adjust the sugar and other ingredients to your liking.
3. Once you have removed the par baked crust from the oven , smooth the filling over it.
4. Make the streusel topping by combining all the ingredients with a fork in a small clean bowl. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the raspberry filling.
5. Place back into the oven and bake another 17-20 minutes until the streusel starts to become slightly golden. (Optional: After this point if you want the topping to have more color, place it under your ovens broiler for a few minutes. Keep a close eye on it as it will become dark fast. )
6. Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool completely before removing them from the pan. I like to speed up this process by sticking the pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.  The bars will gain their structure and harden as they cool.

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