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quinoa black plum crumb bars

If October were a visual, these quinoa black plum crumb bars would be it.

quinoa black plum crumb bars

I know we’re in the pumpkin-flavored EVERYTHING season right now, but I want to share with you this quick weekend baking recipe that can be ready in less than an hour, and it doesn’t involve making a pie crust.

These quinoa black plum bars are everything you’d expect from a crumb bar.

They’re:

  • Infused with a gooey sweet-tangy plum jam.
  • Blanketed with a buttery, crumbly quinoa topping.
  • Scrumptiously crisp.
  • Firm & Sturdy enough to withstand a tea dunk. 🙌
  • Easy to make.
  • Immensely satisfying AND Delicious!

And they’re…..let’s make some crumb bars already.

Here’s how to manifest the very best VEGAN, black plum jam bars on the planet. In my humble opinion. 🤗
  • Grab a bag of Quinoa Flakes from your kitchen pantry; we’re making a quinoa crumb topping. If you don’t have a bag on hand, you can purchase a bag here. We’re leveling up guys by using GLUTEN-FREE Quinoa flakes as an alternative to Oats because they’re loaded with all the nutritional characteristics you can expect from a WHOLESOME Ancient grain. You’re free to use a grain of your choice, no judgment here.
  • Next, in a medium-sized bowl, combine all your dry ingredients. Give it a good mix.

A bag of 100% organic Quinoa Flakes

  • Here’s how that works out in the process. Below you’re going to pulse the dry ingredients with Earth balance butter in a food processor to create coated lumps of butter into crumbly crumbs. Like so. 👇

quinoa crumb mixture

  • Below I added lemon juice to my homemade black plum jam to conjure up the perfect tartness. Here’s the recipe for my delicious cherry jam, you can substitute the cherries for black plum. If not, any store-bought jar of seedless blackberry jam will get the job done.

 black plum jam with lemon juice

  • And now, we assemble the black plum crumb bars! In your prepared pan, spread on all but a cup of crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan—Bake for 20 minutes to establish a firm foundation.
  • Once done, spread the jam mixture over the hot crust. Sprinkle on the reserved crumb mixture evenly covering the jam.
  • Bake for 15 minutes until crumbs are golden brown.  Once cool, cut bars into squares.
  • In less than an hour, your home will be filled with aromas of baked buttery crumbs, and black plums caramelized in coconut sugar.
  • Enjoy.

quinoa black plum crumb bars in prepared pan

  • Give a round of applause for quinoa black plum crumb bars!! They taste like autumn without a trace of Pumpkin.

quinoa black plum crumb bars

HOW TO MAKE QUINOA BLACK PLUM CRUMB BARS
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quinoa black plum crumb bars
 
Prep time
Cook time
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Everything you'd expect from a crumb bar. These quinoa black plum bars are infused with a sweet plum jam blanketed with a buttery, crumbly quinoa topping! All the YUM-YUM!!
Author:
Serves: 14-16 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 Organic lemon
  • 1⅓ cups of spelt flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon pink salt
  • ¾ cup Quinoa flakes
  • ⅓ cup packed organic coconut sugar
  • 6 oz of softened vegan cashew cheese
  • ¼ cup of earth balance butter
  • 1 cup homemade black plum jam or store-bought seedless blackberry jam will do
  • Nonstick coconut cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch pan with foil. Lightly spray with coconut cooking spray.
  2. Peel 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix spelt flour, baking soda, and pink salt. Stir in quinoa, coconut sugar, and lemon zest. Mix then set aside.
  4. In a food processor, whiz together vegan cashew cream cheese and butter, scraping down the sides. Add flour mixture, pulse until it reaches a crumbly texture. Remove 1 cup of crumb mixture for topping and set aside.
  5. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan—Bake for 20 minutes.
  6. In a small bowl, combine black plum jam and the juice of one lemon. Mix.
  7. Spread jam mixture over hot crust. Sprinkle on the 1 cup of the crumb mixture evenly covering the jam.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes until crumbs are golden brown. Allow cooling in the pan. Once cool, lift foil edges to remove bars from the pan. Cut bars into squares. Eat Up !! 🙂

This post contains an affiliate link for Quinoa Flakes. The new alternative to Oats. 😉

One Comment

  • Katerina

    Ohh, I love everything about these bars! No refined sugar, quinoa flakes and homemade jam – YUM! Thank you so much for sharing, I am saving this recipe and will definitely give it a go!