These Apple Crumble Bars are made with just 10 simple ingredients and use only one bowl! They're naturally sweetened, gluten-free and vegan too!
What do you get when you combine apple pie and granola bars? A delicious breakfast or dessert that tastes like a decadent sweet treat.
Yep, you heard it here first. These apple crumble bars are not only tasty but incredibly satisfying.
Why? Because they’re made with ingredients like oats, nuts, sweeteners, and real fruit.
The Perfect Crumble Topping
You might recognize this base from my raspberry oatmeal bars, but it really does make the perfect crumble.
Unlike traditional crumble toppings, this version skips the butter and uses a small amount of sweetener. You still get those glorious crunchy clusters that make crumbles so good.
The best part of all? Our crumble topping is also our base!
So you just need one bowl to make this entire recipe (which I personally think is a major win when it comes to baking) and 10 ingredients!
GF & Vegan Apple Crumble Bars
Once we've got our base/topping done, we can move onto the apples!
Similar to an apple pie or crisp, you want to quickly toss your apples with some cinnamon, a sweetener (in this case maple syrup), and a touch of starch. The starch is optional, but it helps make everything a little more gooey and soft.
To make this dessert gluten-free and vegan, we’re using a blend of quick-cooking oats (make sure they’re GF!), almond flour, and quinoa flour, then adding a flax egg instead of a chicken egg. I personally love this combination because it adds great texture to baked goods.
Next time, instead of making a full apple pie, try a batch of these apple crumble bars. They deliver all the cozy apple flavors but are much simpler to make and take far less time.
They’re a fall-inspired treat that works beautifully as dessert or even breakfast.
More Apple Dessert Recipes:
- Spiralized Apple Tart
- Apple Pie Energy Bites
- Slow Cooker Quinoa Apple Crisp
Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients
for the base & crumble:
- 1 cup quick cooking oats gluten-free if needed
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 flax egg
for the apples:
- 2 cups chopped apple (about 2)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or arrowroot/corn/potato)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Mix in the syrup and coconut oil and crumble with your hands until it resembles a coarse, sandy texture. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough for the topping.
- Add the flax egg to the bowl and stir to form a sticky dough. Transfer the dough to the baking pan and press it evenly with your fingers or a flat-bottomed glass.
- Toss all the apple ingredients together until combined and pour on top of the base. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Crumble the reserved oat topping over the jam.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 40 - 45 minutes until the oats are golden brown. Check after 30 and cover with foil if the topping is getting too brown. Remove and cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge and cool completely. Slice into squares and serve!
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