• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the shortbread dough:

• Start by making the shortbread dough. Add the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, cane sugar, flax egg, and almond extract to a bowl and mix to combine.
• Once mixed, add in the dry ingredients, including the gluten-free flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. Stir together until a thick and somewhat crumbly dough forms.
• Take ¼ of the dough and set it aside for later. Then, take the remaining ¾ of the dough and press it into the bottom of the parchment-lined pan.

Par-bake dough & make the blueberry compote:

• Add the pan to the oven and par-bake the dough for 15 minutes. This step helps the dough form a better crust that will not get soggy.
• While the dough is baking, make the blueberry filling. Start by mixing the arrowroot powder, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl to form a slurry.
• Add the blueberries, sugar, and arrowroot slurry to a saucepan. Then, turn the heat to medium and stir together.
• Bring the blueberry compote to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the compote begins to thicken.
• Once you see it thickening, immediately remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Layer & bake:

• Remove the pan of par-baked dough from the oven and top it with the blueberry filling, using a spatula to evenly spread it over the crust.
• Next, sprinkle the remaining ¼ of dough on top of the filling in chunks. Then, sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
• Add the blueberry bars back to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is cooked and just beginning to brown.
• Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool COMPLETELY before slicing. This step is crucial, as the bars will be soft when warm. To make slicing easier, lift the parchment paper up to easily remove the crumble bars.
• Once room temperature or cold, slice the bars into 9 even squares and serve!