PB&J crumb bars

These bars have been on my to-bake list for quite a long time. Isn't it the best feeling to check things off a list? Whether it be school assignments, miles to run, or things to make, it feels good to get things done. I'm definitely one of those people who gets high off of the a sense of productivity and accomplishment. 

Anyways, when we were out of town a few weeks ago, I found this cute, dinky little store that had a bunch of health food. I got some gluten-free flours I was excited {maybe a little tooooooo excited.} to try out. At first I was a little worried these flours would turn out gummy textures like some other GF flours. Um EW, you guys. In case you didn't know, gummy cookies and bars are not a good situation. 

Well those flours delivered! No gumminess and you'd never know they were gluten-free. I ended up making these bars both gluten-free AND vegan. I was feeling rather adventurous. Living on the edge. My family LOVED these bars and as we all know, they're the real stamp of approval. My brothers and my dad inhaled these and claimed they were the best bars I'd ever made. {I've kinda made a lot of bars in my day, so…} I said I'd keep my lips shut, but ended up blurting out that they were gluten-free and vegan. My dad's reply was "Oh don't tell me that bad stuff." It's not bad, it's good, believe it or not. But to each their own. 

These bars are simple, require only a few easy ingredients, are healthy, naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and vegan. They're chewy and crumbly {the good crumbly}, and taste like a peanut butter and jelly SANDWICH. It's been way too long since I've had one of those. But now I can have them in the form of these bars! They make great snacks or if we're being real here. BREAKFAST. Dewwwitttttt.

PB& J crumb bars {vegan & GF}

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/3 c. honey/maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. tapioca flour

1/3 c. sorghum flour

3/4 c. oats, divided

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. jam {I used cherry}

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease or line a 9x13 in. pan. In a large bowl, whisk peanut butter, vanilla, and sweetener. Add flours, baking powder, and 1/2 c. of the oats. Press about 3/4 of the dough evenly into prepared pan. Spread jam in an even layer, keeping about an inch away from the sides. Add the rest of the oats to the remaining dough. Crumble on top of the bars and bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Yields about 12 squares.