Fruit Mince Crumble Bars
This Fruit Mince Crumble Bars recipe gives you the familiar flavour of Christmas mince pies without rolling pastry or lining individual tins. A buttery oat mixture does double duty as the pressed base and loose crumble topping, with a generous layer of sweet, spiced fruit mince in between.
For a hot South African Christmas, bake them in the cooler morning hours and serve them at room temperature. They fit neatly onto a biscuit platter, travel well in a container and need no last-minute oven time. A little orange zest brightens the filling, while the oats give the topping a gentle crunch. Let the slab cool completely before cutting; warm fruit mince is sticky, and the base needs time to firm up.
Ingredients
Base and crumble topping
Fruit filling
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven to 180 °C, or 160 °C fan. Lightly grease a 20 cm square baking tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, leaving an overhang for lifting.
- 2Mix the cake flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Break up any lumps of sugar.
- 3Add the melted butter and vanilla essence. Stir until evenly moistened and clumpy, with no dry flour remaining. Reserve about one-third of the mixture for the topping.
- 4Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared tin, using the back of a spoon to reach the corners. Bake for 15 minutes, until set and just beginning to colour at the edges.
- 5Meanwhile, stir the fruit mince, orange zest and orange juice together. The filling should be thick and spreadable rather than runny.
- 6Spoon the filling over the hot base and spread gently into an even layer. Scatter the reserved crumble over the filling, squeezing some of it into small clumps. Leave a few gaps where the fruit can show through.
- 7Bake for a further 25–30 minutes, until the crumble is golden and the fruit filling is bubbling lightly at the edges. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
- 8Leave in the tin on a wire rack until completely cool, allowing at least 2 hours and longer in a warm kitchen. Lift out using the paper and cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife. For neater slices, chill the cooled slab for 30 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 37 g
- Protein
- 2.5 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.8 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 65 mg
- Cholesterol
- 23 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Bake a day ahead so the slab has plenty of time to set. The stated prep time excludes cooling and optional chilling.
- Keep the bars in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 2 days. In very hot weather, refrigerate for up to 5 days and bring out shortly before serving.
- Freeze the fully cooled bars for up to 2 months, separating layers with baking paper. Defrost in their container in the fridge overnight.
- Serve small squares alongside fresh cherries or sliced peaches for a summer Christmas dessert platter. Check the fruit mince label for alcohol, nuts and suet if catering for dietary requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use homemade fruit mince?
Yes. Use 400 g of thick, ready-to-use homemade sweet fruit mince. If it contains plenty of loose liquid, drain that off and omit the added orange juice so the base does not become soggy.
Why are my bars crumbling when I cut them?
The base needs firm pressing before baking and complete cooling afterwards. If your kitchen is hot, chill the cooled slab before slicing. A few loose crumbs from the topping are normal.
Can I leave out the oats?
This recipe is balanced for rolled oats, so simply leaving them out will change the texture and make the mixture too buttery. For the intended result, use ordinary rolled oats rather than instant porridge or steel-cut oats.
