Peach-Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Once upon a time, I tried to recreate the legendary “Savannah Bar” from Great Harvest… My photos were horrific and my recipe left much to be desired. They were good, but they didn’t hold a candle to the real thing… Also, I just had to Google both of those idioms to make sure I typed them correctly, because I am the absolute WORST at repeating phrases and idioms correctly.

 

 

I am a pretty particular person and I am especially particular about eating baked goods outside of the house. The issue is, I eat A LOT on a regular basis and I have to be strategic about eating baked goods. I want to save my sweet calories for something that I’ve made myself so I can eat it straight out of the oven… in the comfort of my own home… where people can’t judge me if and when I eat half a dozen cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and/or bars. But there are some baked goods that I can simply not pass up and the Savannah Bar from Great Harvest is one of them.

For those of you who are not familiar with Great Harvest, Savannah Bars are an oatmeal cookie bar topped with seasonal fruit and an additional oatmeal cookie crumble. They are sensational.

 

 

It’s been almost four years since I posted my original recipe and I thought it was time to give it the attention and love it so deeply needed. Plus, the photos were starting to hurt my eyes. In my original recipe, I used two different recipes for the oatmeal cookie base and the crumb topping and I was less than excited about the final result, my crumb topping was lacking and it just wasn’t a Savannah Bar. For the new, revamped recipe I used only one oatmeal cookie recipe for the base and crumble and the results were pretty noteworthy, Savannah Bar status.

 

 

My favorite thing about this recipe, other than the delightfully chewy oatmeal cookie, is that the fruit filling can be easily adapted depending on the season. All you need is 4 cups worth of fresh fruit and voilà! My favorite thing to do is to eat these bars while they’re piping hot and if I’m feeling extra indulgent, I’ll add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. There is something so satisfying about eating a warm fruit dessert with ice cream in the summertime!

 

Peach-Blueberry Oatmeal Bars by The Bite-Sized Baker:

Oatmeal Cookie Base and Crumble:

3 cups old fashioned oats

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

Fruit Filling:

2 cups peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch thick wedges

2 cups fresh blueberries

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.
2. To make the oatmeal cookie mixture, combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and beat for 2-3 more minutes until fully incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. On low speed, gradually add dry ingredients until just combined. Spread ¾ of the oatmeal cookie mixture into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 5 minutes.
4. While the oatmeal cookie base is baking, covering remaining oatmeal cookie crumble with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes and make fruit filling.
5. To make the fruit filling, combine peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl and gently stir until combined.
6. Spread fruit filling over oatmeal cookie base and top with remaining oatmeal cookie crumble and bake for 30-40 minutes until edges are set and the crumble is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack and cut into squares OR serve while warm with a scoop of ice cream!