Berry Crumble Bars are easy to make, low carb and bursting with the sweetness of fresh berries! A zesty coconut crumb topping makes these delicious dessert bars even better. No added sugar or flour needed!
Did you know berries are a keto approved fruit? This Blueberry Cake is another gluten free low carb dessert with berries your whole family love. Or give our delicious no bake cheesecake bars a try soon, topped with a delicious berry topping!
Why These Sugar Free Bars are Best
If you like fruity desserts, make these Berry Crumble Bars as soon as possible. I love them in the summer when fresh berries are over flowing at the farmers market, but they’re so good you’ll want to make them all year long.
- Perfect for summer! All that juicy berry flavor makes these ideal for a summer potluck or picnic.
- Lots of flavor options. Make this recipe with any combination of berries or even sugar free jam instead.
- All natural dessert bars. Our Berry Crumble Bars contain no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
- Gluten free and keto. Everyone can enjoy these bars!
- Hint of lemon. A little citrus zest in the crust and crumb topping gives these an extra zip of fresh summery flavor.
Save some berries and toss in our yogurt popsicles for a refreshing treat.
Ingredient Notes
- Almond Flour – This fine nut flour works beautifully in both the crust and topping. Remember to use almond flour, not almond meal which is coarser and darker than its superfine flour counterpart.
- Berries – We used half blueberries and half raspberries in today’s bars. Strawberries and blackberries would also be delicious. Or use a combination!
- Chia seeds – These are mixed with water to form a gelatinous paste that, when mixed cooked with berries, creates a homemade jam filling for the crumble bars.
- Monk Fruit – This naturally occurring calorie-free sweetener sweetens these berry bars without leaving behind the unpleasant after taste of artificial sweeteners.
- Lemon zest – Remove the outermost layer of the lemon’s peel with a zester or grater to add to the crust and crumb topping for a pop of bright lemony taste!
- Unsweetened coconut – Sprinkled into the crumb topping, these flakes add a crisp texture to the bars with a tropical twist.
- Unsalted butter – The fats in the butter give every bite of these bars a tender crumb and rich taster.
Tips and Tricks
- Time saving trick: Use a jar of store bought sugar free jam instead of the homemade berry filling if you’re in a rush—or simply don’t feel like standing over the stove!
- Refrigerate after baking: The bars ideally need a couple of hours for the jam filling to set after baking. Chilling the bars speeds up the process, and we love the way these taste cold.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. For a less sweet filling, add less monk fruit. If the filling isn’t sweet enough, add more to taste. We found 1/3 cup was perfect but if your berries are on the tarter side, you may need more.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, these bars are considered keto approved because they remain very low in net carbs per serving. Since berries are high in fiber and water, they don’t add a significant amount of carbs to these bars!
The jam will still look runny when it is warm. After baking, the jam will start to set to a thick jelly consistency as the bars cool. If the jam remains runny, chill the bars for an hour or two and this should firm it up.
You can absolutely make the sugar free jam filling ahead of time. I like to make it the night before, then store it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to bake Berry Crumble Bars.
I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen berries. It may work, but the jam will need to be cooked longer to remove the extra liquid released when frozen berries thaw. Otherwise, your jam may turn out runny.
Stored covered in the refrigerator, these bars are best enjoyed within about 5 days.
More Sugar Free Desserts
- Sugar Free Strawberry Cheesecake
- Keto Chocolate Pudding
- Low Carb Shortbread Cookies
- Sugar Free Peanut Butter Fudge
- Banana Ice Cream
Berry Crumble Bars
Berry Crumble Bars are easy to make, low carb and bursting with the sweetness of fresh berries! A zesty coconut crumb topping makes these delicious dessert bars even better. No added sugar or flour needed!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 2 Tablespoons chía seeds
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups berries (I used 1 cup of blueberries and 1 cup of raspberries)
- ⅓ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
For the Crumble
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
- ¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix almond flour, lemon zest, granulated monk fruit and melted butter for the crust. Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan and press it down evenly. Bake the crust for 7 to 8 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
- Prepare the jam filling by activating the chía seeds with ½ cup of water. Let the seeds sit in water for about 30 minutes. The result will be a gelatinous paste.
- Place the chía paste and the rest of the ingredients of the jam into a blender or food processor and pulse to combine. For the jam, adjust the sweetness to taste as it will depend on what berry you use the tartness it’ll provide to the jam. We found 1/3 cup monk fruit was perfect.
- Transfer the jam to a saucepan over low heat; without stirring, wait until the jam thickens. The excess liquid needs to evaporate, so stir infrequently, making sure the jam doesn't burn. The jam will develop its thickest consistency when cold. Let it cool in the refrigerator while you make the crumble.
- To make the crumble mix all the ingredients except butter and then add butter chopped into cubes. Use your hands to combine the ingredients until a crumbly consistency. Next, spread the jam onto the base, and crumble on top of it.
- Bake these bars at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let it cool to room temperature for the jam to completely set, about two hours is ideal. You can speed up this process in the fridge. Cut into bars and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 177Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
Keto Berry Crumble Bars are easy to make with a homemade sugar free jam center. The perfect lightened up gluten free dessert for summertime and beyond!
A.J.
Tuesday 30th of August 2022
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond?
Ashley
Friday 15th of July 2022
Can I use Splenda instead of monkfruit?
Aimee
Monday 18th of July 2022
If you prefer splenda, yes you can use interchangably!