Berry picking is one of my favorite summer activities.  While it’s not exactly convenient, I love the tradition of going to Homestead Farms with Mom and picking berries, and buying fresh produce from the farm.  We usually stop by Starbucks on the way home for an iced coffee.  Mom took Sister and me all the time when we were little and then she’d spend the afternoon making jam.

Unfortunately on a recent trip, the blackberries weren’t quite ripe.  So my berries were a bit more tart than usual. Which made them the perfect excuse for these bars.  I’d been thinking about making a crumble, but these bars taste just like a crumble, but are much less messy and would make a great treat for a weekday morning.  I’m also really looking forward to serving these with a little Greek yogurt for a more substantial breakfast.  These would also make a fantastic summer dessert with a little vanilla ice cream.

What are your favorite summer berries?  What’s your favorite summer treat?

Blackberry Breakfast Bars 

Serves 12-14

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Crust and Crumb:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Blackberry filling:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 lemons, zested and juiced (about 1 Tbsp zest, 1/4 cup juice)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 lb blackberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving about an inch of overhang on each side.  Grease the parchment paper with cooking spray and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Pulse until well mixed.  Add the butter pieces and pulse again until a sandy mixture forms.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups.  Pour the remaining crumble into the prepared baking sheet and press down firmly into the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just beginning to golden.  Let cool while you make the blackberry filling.

In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon, and flour together.  Mix in the blackberries, then add the lemon juice and cooled melted butter.  Pour the mixture onto the crust and spread out in an even layer.  Spread the remaining crumble mixture over the top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until bubbly and golden, rotating halfway through.  Let cool and then cut into bars.

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