Upside down gooseberry crumble bars

These upside down gooseberry crumble bars make the most of one of Britain’s most unusual seasonal fruits. Packed with oats and nuts for energy and nutrition. Refined sugar free.

Cutting down on sugar

As you’re sure to know if you’ve visited Sneaky Veg before, I try to reduce the amount of sugar in my children’s diet. I love experimenting with different ways of sweetening baked goods that we are used to making with sugar.

These gooseberry upside down crumble bars are sweetened with banana and agave nectar.

What is agave nectar?

Agave nectar is often called agave syrup. It’s a natural sweetener, made from the agave plant. There are several different varieties of agave plant that produce the syrup.

It is similar in consistency to honey or maple syrup and can be used in the same way. It is suitable for vegans.

Did the kids like the gooseberry crumble bars?

Yes! The bars were a massive hit with all three of my kids, and with us grown ups too. They are refined sugar free and are perfect for an after-school snack or even as dessert.

The oats and nuts provide some lovely energy and protein. Anything that gets six-year-old R eating fruit and asking for seconds gets a thumbs up from me.

I mustn’t forget to give my dad a shout out as he grew these gorgeous pink gooseberries in his garden – thanks dad! 

You can make these with green gooseberries too. They won’t look as pretty but they’ll still taste fantastic.

More refined sugar free recipes 

If you like these then you might also like:

• healthy flapjacks
• rhubarb bars
• apple flapjack
• healthy pumpkin muffins

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How to make gooseberry crumble bars:

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Upside down gooseberry crumble bars

These upside down gooseberry crumble bars make the most of one of Britain's most unusual seasonal fruits. Packed with oats and nuts for energy and nutrition and refined sugar free.

Course Snack

Cuisine British

Keyword gooseberry crumble bars

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12

Author Mandy Mazliah

Ingredients

• 360 g gooseberries
• 125 g oats
• 100 g almonds
• 100 g butter or vegan margarine
• 1 small banana mashed
• 4 tbsp Tate & Lyle agave nectar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. First prepare the 360g gooseberries. Wash them then snip off the ends if there are spiky bits. Place in a small non-stick saucepan, cover and cook over a low heat for 10-15 minutes until starting to break down. Stir occasionally. If you prefer you can add a couple of spoonfuls of agave nectar to the gooseberries at this stage. We (yes, even the Sneaky Veg kids) quite like the slightly tart taste of gooseberries so I don't add any sweetener at this stage.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6. Prepare a 20cm square cake tin by lightly greasing the sides and lining the base with greaseproof paper.

3. Grind 125g oats and 100g almonds in a food processor until you have a powder. Add 100g dairy free spread, one mashed banana and 4 tbsp agave nectar. Pulse until combined.

4. Scrape out into the cake tin and level the surface. Pour the gooseberries over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin before cutting into squares or slices.

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