Base Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/2 cups quick and/or old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup rice flour (or 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour if not gluten free)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar, raw sugar, or golden yellow (light brown) sugar
• 2/3 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, softened
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated (3 Tablespoons), optional
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/2 cups canned peaches (one 400 mL can), drained and diced
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch (or 2 + 1/2 Tablespoons tapioca flour)
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 1 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar or golden yellow (light brown) sugar
• 1/8 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spiced.  In a separate bowl, blend together coconut oil (or butter) and grated carrot, and then stir in vanilla.  Add carrot mixture to dry ingredients.  Use a fork and/or your fingertips to break apart the larger pieces and mix well, until even crumbles are formed.
2.  Line the bottom of a 8-by-11-inch (20 cm x 28 cm) or 9-by-9-inch (22cm) square dish with baking parchment.  Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture into the dish.  Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 15 minutes or until light golden.
3. To make the filling, combine diced peaches with cornstarch in a medium saucepan.  Stir well and mash peaches lightly with a fork.  Add maple syrup or honey and sugar.  Turn on heat to medium low and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.  Simmer and stir until thickened juice turns clear.  Remove filling from heat and stir in 1/8 teaspoon vanilla.
4. Remove baking dish with oat base from oven to cool slightly.  Spread peach filling over the oat crust.  Top with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 20 minutes or until topping is golden brown.  Allow the pan to cool completely before cutting into bars.