Apple Crisp Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Gluten-free apple crisp bars with a crumble oat topping, warm spiced apple filling, and soft, chewy layers. Perfect for fall baking!
Servings 12 bars
Ingredients
Crust & Crisp Topping
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats 145 g
- ½ cup blanched fine almond flour 56 g *See notes if you prefer to use gluten-free all purpose flour.
- ¾ cup gluten-free oat flour 90 g
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or as needed
- ½ cup melted butter/dairy-free butter or refined coconut oil.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples peeled and diced ½ to 1 inch thick ( 3 cups chopped)
- 1 –2 Tablespoons unsalted butter regular or dairy-free or refined coconut oil.
- 2 –3 Tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon water slurry
Extra Crumble Topping (see topping notes)
- 2 -3 Tablespoon softened unsalted butter or dairy-free butter.
- 3 Tablespoon coconut sugar or sugar of choice
- ¼ cup blanched fine almond flour or Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Pinch of cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Make Crust: In a bowl, mix oats, flours, sugar, maple syrup, butter or coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until sticky. If you are using gluten-free 1:1 flour, you might need 1-2 tablespoon more maple syrup to help the batter bind. Start with 2 tablespoons and adjust as needed.
- Press about ⅔ of mixture firmly into the pan to form a crust (reserve ~½ cup for topping). Bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool slightly.
- Make Filling: In a skillet, melt butter or oil over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice.
- Cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and release juices. Stir in cornstarch slurry; cook 1–2 minutes more until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- For the extra crumble topping: In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in softened butter until coarse crumbs form. Mix with reserved crust topping.
- Spread apple filling over baked crust. Sprinkle remaining crust and crumble evenly over the top. Shortcut option: If you’d rather skip the extra crumble, just sprinkle the reserved ½ cup crust mixture over the apples for a lighter topping. See notes.
- Return to the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes (check at 40 min) until topping is golden and apples are bubbling.
- Let the bars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours (overnight is best) to allow the filling to fully set. This gives you clean slices and even layers. Note: You can slice at room temp, but the bars will be softer with a more crumbly topping.
- Storage: These hold at room temp for 2 days, but last up to 5 days covered or individually wrapped in the fridge.
Notes
Flour Substitutions: 1 cup (145 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour can be substituted for the oat flour and almond flour combination. The crust will bake up a little denser, and you may need to adjust the crust batter by adding a bit more liquid, such as maple syrup mentioned. Baking times will also vary a little bit.
Filling: Taste the filling before thickening. Add more sugar for tart apples (Granny Smith), less for naturally sweet ones (Fuji/Honeycrisp).
Topping Tip: The extra crumble gives a thick, bakery-style crisp top that holds the filling neatly. Use 2 tablespoon butter for a lighter, crispier topping, or 3 tablespoon for a richer, clumpier bakery-style finish. If you use only the reserved crust, the topping will be lighter and slightly softer, but the bars will still hold together once fully chilled.
Make-ahead: The crust can be baked ahead and stored in the fridge (up to 2 days) or frozen until ready to add filling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar with extra topping | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.2g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 59.4mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 15g
