Recipe: Apple Pie Crumble Bars
Love the flavors of apple pie, but want to skip the process of preparing and handling pie crust? These Apple Pie Crumble Bars are firm enough to slice and serve without the hassle of a crust! Another upgrade comes in the swaps. We replaced all-purpose flour with almond flour, oats, and oat flour, making these bars gluten-free, higher in fiber, and a source of unsaturated fats (from the almond flour). Paired with the classic butter and brown sugar combination, these ingredients provide a tender crumb texture. To ensure each bite is truly reminiscent of apple pie, we briefly sauté the apples to soften them slightly and reduce the total cook time. The end result? A delicious apple pie meets a brown sugar crumble bar, with a few upgrades.
If a healthier cheesecake-inspired dessert intrigues you, check out this variation (and swap in apples).
Apple Pie Crumble Bars
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 3/4 C rolled or quick oats*
- 3/4 C oats*
- 1 C almond flour
- 2/3 C brown sugar
- 1/2 C butter, softened
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 C semi-tart apples (such as Pink Lady or Granny Smith), thinly sliced and pieces cut in half
- 1/4 C maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 ground cloves
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, oat flour, almond flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Using clean hands or two forks, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it is well combined and a crumbly dough forms.
- Press 2/3 of the crumble mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven, and set it aside (leaving the oven on) while you prepare the apple filling.
- In a medium saucepan, combine apples, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and cloves over medium-high heat. Cook the apples for 7-9 minutes until they start to become tender. Remove from heat.
- To the saucepan, add lemon juice and cornstarch. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir apples to combine until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
- Spread the apple filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining oat almond crumble topping.
- Bake the bars for 25-27 minutes until the fruit filling is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
- Allow bars to cool fully before slicing. If desired, chill to achieve the firmest/set texture.
- Store leftover bars covered in the fridge.
Tip: If following a strict gluten-free diet, choose certified gluten-free oats and oat flour.
Swaps
- For the flours: all-purpose or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- For the butter: vegan butter or solid coconut oil
- For the apples: pears
- For the spices: apple pie spice mix
For a more classic variation, use regular flour and sugar.