Gluten-Free Blackberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

These aren’t just blackberry bars which happen to be gluten-free. The crumble mixture uses gluten-free oat flour, sweet rice flour and tapioca flour to create a perfect texture. Rubbed together with rolled oats and toasted hazelnuts, the flavour is rich and toasty. You’ll have none of the slightly gritty or sandy crumble here. This crumble mixture is crisp, buttery and holds together (well – it crumbles as it should not because it’s falling apart!).

These Blackberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars made with my homemade blackberry lime jam were a regular feature on my gluten-free cake stall in the late summer months and always flew off the table.

I think these gluten-free blackberry bars are a perfect way to use up a pot of good jam. Even though you can use any kind of jam the bars actually live and die by the quality of the jam used so if you can use homemade then you’ve basically nailed it.

Using jam rather than fresh berries also means that it’s a very quick and easy bake. The jam is beaten into cream cheese and then spread between two layers of oaty crumble, sprinkled with hazelnuts. The crumble mixture is quick to pull together by throwing everything into a bowl and rubbing together with your fingertips. Half of the mixture is pressed into the cake tin, the blackberry cheesecake is spread on top, then the rest of the crumble is scattered on top.

Ingredients Needed

Blackberry jam. This recipe uses my Homemade Blackberry Lime Jam which is quite thickly set and seedless. If your jam is runny then it can make the cheesecake layer quite wet so you can reduce the jam in a saucepan if you need to. Make sure to use cooled jam before mixing with the cream cheese and egg.

Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese as the flavour is much preferable. If you are in the UK then use the cream cheese directly from the fridge.

Egg. This recipe uses a medium sized egg, about 60g with shell (50g each without shell). This is often classified as a large egg in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour). This is a delicate white starchy flour which is useful in gluten-free baking because of its neutral flavour and ability to bind the ingredients together.

Tapioca starch (tapioca flour). Needed to help with the structure of the crumble mixture. Tapioca flour is a great starchy flour that is ideal for binding. It helps balance out the sweet rice flour (which is your other binding flour).

Oat flour. This wholegrain flour has a mild, buttery flavour is used here for the structure of the crumble. That toasted butterscotch taste is also great backdrop for the recipe. Make sure it is certified gluten-free.

Rolled oats. These give a great texture to the crumble rather than just using the flour.

Gluten-free oat note. Oats are not suitable for all gluten-free diets. You need to be wary of oats and choose certified gluten-free brands because they are often cross-contaminated with gluten during growing, harvesting or processing. Additionally, some people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance react to avenin, a protein in oats, even if they are certified gluten-free. Due to these concerns, some countries, like Australia, do not classify oats as a safe gluten-free food. Substitution. You can swap the oat flour for sorghum flour and swap the rolled oats for buckwheat flakes.

Light soft brown sugar. Using brown sugar adds a gentle molasses flavour to the crumble dough.

Baking powder. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

Hazelnuts. Chopped hazelnuts add a lovely taste and texture. You can omit if you are nut-free. Choose blanched hazelnuts if you can, however, I couldn’t get hold of them locally. You can toast in the oven for 5 minutes (set at the same pre-heated temperature of 190°C / 170°C fan assisted / gas mark 5 / 375°F and then lightly rub off the hazelnut skins).

How To Make Blackberry Cheesecake Crumble Bars

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post

In a medium sized bowl stir the cream cheese, jam and egg together until well combined then set aside.

Place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.

Stir in the hazelnuts. Then tip half the mixture into the cake tin and press in tightly.

Spread the cheesecake mixture over the top of the tin, then tip over the rest of the oat mixture, pressing down as firmly as you can without disrupting the cheesecake layer.

Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove and leave to cool completely in the tin. Remove from the tin and cut into squares.

How To Cut Blackberry Bars Without Falling Apart

These crumbly cheesecake bars will cut and hold together like a dream if you follow these essential tips:

• Allow the bars to cool completely in the tin. You can leave overnight covered with foil if you like (which is what I do).
• Use a sharp knife.
• Wipe the knife in between cuts so the cheesecake mixture doesn’t spread messily over the top.

Alternative Dough Method - Stand Mixer

You can also use a stand mixer to mix the crumble mixture. If you do this it comes together to form a dough rather than a loose crumble. Place half of it in the tin and press down as per the recipe. The top half you will have to break apart and crumble over the blackberry layer. It's harder to make sure the blackberry layer is completely covered but does bake up really well - almost like crumbled shortbread on top of the bars. I have baked these bars using both methods and I include the non stand-mixer version as the standard recipe as it's easier to assemble in the tin. But if you like that version then I encourage you to try the stand mixer version next time (image below) and decide which final version you prefer.

Recipe Variations

Jam. The most obvious way of varying this recipe is to switch up the flavour of jam.

I have made this recipe with many variations and I particular recommend swapping the blackberry jam for Seedless Raspberry Jam or Apple Butter.

Hazelnuts. You can switch up for chopped toasted almonds which are also delicious.

If you like this recipe then you might also like my other Crumble bars such as these Mince Pie Cheesecake Crumble Bars, Chocolate Fudge Crumble Bars or these Apple Cranberry Bars.

More Blackberry Recipes You’ll Love

Apple and Blackberry Crumble is a delightful example of a gluten-free crumble. A crisp biscuity topping is the perfect contrast to the sweet and tangy fruit jumble beneath.

This self-saucing Blackberry Lemon Pudding is such a great dessert, being both sweet and tart. It's cakey on the top with an ooey gooey blackberry lemon sauce puddled beneath.

Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream is amazingly light and creamy made from a base of Italian meringue and whipped double cream shot through with a burst of fruity blackberry.