Healthy Vegan Strawberry Oat Squares with Homemade Jam (16 squares)

 3 ½ dl (1½ cups) regular oats

 2 dl (1 cup) whole-grain flour

 ½ tsp baking soda

 ½ tsp sea salt

 1 dl (½ cup) brown sugar

 1 tbsp chia seeds + 4 tbsp warm water, mixed

 1 dl (½ cup) + 2 tbsp melted butter

 ½ dl (1/4 cup) pure maple syrup

 2 tbsp almond milk

 1 tbsp sesame seeds (for topping only)

 5 dl (2 1/4 cups) chopped strawberries, chopped into 1 centimeter (½ inches) pieces

 3-4 tbsp brown sugar

 1 tbsp chia seeds

 

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Line a square pan with parchment paper and oil the sides of the pan and base. In a medium sized pot, add the chopped strawberries and sugar. Heat over low temperature until the strawberries begin to sweat and it gets a bit watery. Once it heats down a bit, add in the chia seeds, and stir well. Bring to a boil and then simmer over low to medium heat for at least 10 minutes. Once it has thickened a bit, remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. You may also add arrowroot powder to thicken it up more if desired. In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds with the water and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the oat base dry ingredients: oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, maple syrup, almond milk and the chia-mix from before. Stir well. Add the wet mixture (reserving 1 dl [½ cup] of the mixture) to the dry and mix well, using hands if necessary. Pour the oat mixture onto the square pan and press down with fingers. Use a pastry roller to smooth out if desired. Pour on strawberry mixture and smooth out. Now sprinkle on the reserved 1 dl (½ cup) oat mixture and sprinkle on 1 tbsp of sesame seeds. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Allow to fully cool for at least 30-40 minutes before gently removing from pan. Slice in 16 squares and then store in a container in the fridge to keep firm.