Berry Rum Bars

MIXED BERRY BARS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND RUM VANILLA DRIZZLE

There’s no shame in these berry bars. I just threw in a little rum extract to that drizzle, and it turns it into a whole new flavor, with little guilt.

These are fairly simple to make, and of course if you don’t want the rum in it, don’t add it! You don’t need it, but hey, I dig it.

You’ll have to let these cool before you drizzle. I’d say at least an hour!

MIXED BERRY BARS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND RUM VANILLA DRIZZLE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (thick)

• 3/4 cup AP flour

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup diced strawberries

• 1 cup whole blueberries

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon corn starch

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract

• 1 - 2 tablespoons oat milk (or any milk), depends on how thick you want the drizzle glaze

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Prepare a 8x8” baking tray by spraying a vegetable oil first, then lining it with parchment so that it sticks to the surface of the tray without popping back up. Set aside.

Make the crust first. In a bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together well.

Stir in the melted butter and form nice size clumps with hands, and set aside 1/2 cup of that mixture for the crumble on top the bars soon.

Press the remaining crumble into the 8X8” tray firmly, and evenly.

For the filing, toss the diced strawberries and whole blueberries in a bowl with the lemon juice, corn starch and granulated sugar.

Spread the fruit mixture over the pressed oat crust.

Sprinkle the set aside 1/2 cup crumble evenly over the fruit layer.

Evenly distribute the chocolate chips over the crumble.

Bake the bars for 40 minutes, give or take a few until the top is slightly golden.

Lastly, for the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, rum and vanilla extract until desired consistency. You may need to add more or less powdered sugar or milk depending on the thickness of what you want.

Wait for the bars to cool at least an hour out of the oven! They are super sensitive to touch if too warm. I like to cut my bars first after I lift them out of the tray by the parchment.

Then after cooled, drizzle the glaze!