Apple Crumble Bars (V|GF)

Name: Apple Crumble Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 apples (peeled & chopped); 2 tbsp maple syrup; 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder; 2 tsp tapioca starch; Pinch of salt; 1/4 cup bourbon/water; 2 1/2 cups Almond flour; 6 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp maple syrup; Pinch of salt

Apples, cinnamon, maple syrup and shortbread. These bars are apple pie and shortbread cookies combined. They are easy, vegan and gluten free!

These bars are so simple to make and come together in under an hour. Absolutely love the flavors of apple and cinnamon. The maple syrup here makes it even better. I like to add bourbon but you can add water instead. They are chewy, saucy, crumbly and so good as a dessert or even as a snack.This recipe is vegan and gluten free. A delicious allergy friendly fall treat for anyone and everyone.

They don’t require any fancy equipment to prepare. All you need is a bowl and spatula. These apple crumble bars are divided into two parts, the filling and the shortbread. The filling is cooked on the stove until the apples are soft and then the shortbread is pre baked for 10 mins before layering with the cooked filling and more shortbread topping. I like serving these warm but they are yummy cold out of the fridge as well.

What ingredients do you need to make these Apple Crumble Bars?

To make the filling we need-

Apples (I like using a combination of red and green for sweetness and texture), lemon juice (apple cider vinegar works too), maple syrup (any sweet syrup of your choice), cinnamon powder, tapioca starch (corn starch works as well), pinch of salt and bourbon (you cause use water instead).

To make the shortbread we need-

Almond flour (you can just as well grind almonds until it is a powder and use that, alternatively you can use walnut flour or hazelnut flour as well.), olive oil (you can use coconut oil or any oil of you choice), maple syrup (date sugar or any sweetener works here including agave syrup) and a pinch of salt.

How to make these Apple Crumble Bars?

We start by making the filling. I like to peel and chop the apples. You can leave the skin in the filling but I like it better without. Add them into a sauce pot, add the lemon juice, cinnamon powder, tapioca starch, salt, bourbon and maple syrup. Cook this mixture until everything is soft and has thickened. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes on medium heat. Make sure to stir it every now and then. Once done, transfer the mixture to a plate and place in the fridge to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line an 6×4 inch tin with baking paper. In a mixing bowl add the almond flour, salt and stir together. Add the olive oil and maple syrup – stir around and using your fingers massage the ingredients together to form a damp sand like textured mixture. If the mixture is too dry, mix it some more and add 1/ tsp oil as needed. Divide the mixture into 3/4 and 1/4 (eye ball it). Add the 3/4 mixture into the prepared tin and using your finger press it into the bottom really well. This makes it bake into a shortbread – so take your time with this. Once leveled out well, bake for 10 mins until golden.

Layer the apple filling into the golden shortbread layer and crumble the 1/4 leftover mixture on top. Bake again for 15 mins until the top is golden, the juices are bubbling and the crumble is dry to the touch. Let them cool in the tin for 20-30 mins before cutting into bars.

How to serve and store these Apple Crumble Bars?

If you are going to cut them into bars you need to let them cool completely before cutting or else they will break. To speed up this process you can keep it in the fridge and let it cool down faster. Alternatively you can spoon it while still hot into dishes and serve with vanilla ice cream. Once the bars are portioned, they can be stored in air tight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days or stored in the freezer for 1 month. Defrost and warm in the microwave before serving.

Now that we have covered how to make these Apple Crumble Bars you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.