Wow. Apple season is here (at least in the Pacific Northwest!) and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
When I worked at a sandwich shop in college, I used to bring a granny smith apple in every day for my mid-morning snack. I literally ate an apple a day everyday for, like, two years. That’s love!
This recipe takes my love for apples into new territory. They remind me of apple crisp and apple pie and apple strudel all wrapped into one! Plus, just 10 ingredients and 1 hour required before these delicious Apple Pie Crumble bars are on your plate. Let’s do this!
The crust is my go-to almond oat crust that knows no bounds. I’ve now used it to make Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars, Baked Vegan Cheesecake, Peanut Butter and Jelly Snack Bars and soon-to-be more fall treats! Stay tuned.
I love it because it’s simple: Oats, almonds, coconut sugar, salt, and coconut oil. That’s it! And when it bakes up it’s reminiscent of graham cracker crust but without all the weird ingredients and preservatives.
The apples are tossed in cinnamon, lemon juice, and coconut sugar before they’re pre-baked for that quintessential tender, tart-sweet apple pie texture.
And the topping is easy, too! Simply mix coconut sugar, oats, gluten-free flour, and coconut oil together and crumble over the top for a crumbly, slightly crisp topping.
All that’s left is slicing and topping with an optional 2-ingredient powdered sugar and almond milk glaze! In my opinion, this really sends these bars over the top.
But they would be equally delicious as is or topped with Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream! I think they would also be amazing with my Coconut Sugar Caramel Sauce from the cookbook!
If you try these crumbly Apple Pie Bars, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it) and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
*Note: recipe updated 8/3/23 to increase the amount of coconut oil in the crust to help it hold together better.
Apple Pie Crumble Bars (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
FILLING
- 4 heaping cups peeled, cubed apples (half sweet + half tart apples // 1 apple yields ~1 cup cubed)
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar (depending on sweetness of apples)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 medium lemon, juiced (yields ~3 Tbsp or 45 ml as original recipe is written)
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch
CRUST
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 5-6 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
CRUMBLE TOPPING
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp gluten-free flour (DIY blend or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Blend)
- 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
GLAZE optional
- 1 cups organic powdered sugar (ensure vegan friendly – I like Trader Joe’s brand)
- 1-2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper (adjust number/size of pan if altering batch size)
- Add apples to a separate baking dish along with coconut sugar, cinnamon, sea salt, lemon, coconut oil, and cornstarch. Toss to combine.
- Cover with foil and bake for 18 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for 4-5 minutes more or until apples appear slightly caramelized and are tender to the touch.
- While the apples finish baking, add oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar to a food processor or high speed blender and pulse into a fine meal, making sure no large pieces remain.
- Add melted coconut oil (starting with the lesser amount) and pulse a few more times until a crumbly dough forms that resembles wet sand and sticks together when squeezed between two fingers (add more coconut oil, as needed).
- Spread the mixture into the baking dish and press down into an even layer with your fingers or a flat object (such as a drinking glass or liquid measuring cup).
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 (176C), then increase heat to 375 degrees F (190 C) and bake for 5-8 minutes more, or until the crust is fragrant and the edges are light golden brown. Set aside.
- While crust is baking, prepare crumble by adding all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and using a fork or your fingers to mix ingredients into a crumble. Set aside.
- Add baked apples and their juices/sauce to the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Then top with crumble topping and spread evenly to cover apples.
- Reduce oven heat back to 350 degrees F (176 C) and bake for another 15-25 minutes or until the apples topping are warm and bubbly and the crumble is golden brown.
- If serving with glaze (optional), prepare at this time by adding powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and adding 1 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) almond milk to start. Whisk until a thick but pourable glaze is achieved. If too thick, add more almond milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. Set aside.
- Remove squares from oven and let cool slightly – about 45 minutes. Once cooled, gently lift bars from pan and top with glaze (optional). Slice into 9 even squares (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- These can be somewhat crumbly and are best enjoyed with a fork! For extra decadence, enjoy with plenty of coconut whipped cream or Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream!
- Store leftovers in a well-sealed container at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without glaze.
*If you have any questions regarding substitutions or troubleshooting, check out our Recipe FAQ!
Kate says
Made using 1 1/4 c almond flour instead of almonds, and aquafaba instead of oil. Turned out great, and loved by those who tried them (including those with no dietary restrictions.) The crumble topping seemed skimpy, so I might double it next time.
Not what I was expecting in a traditional bar, as the apple topping is moist and messy, but still great! Just not the type of thing I would pack in a lunchbox for eating by hand.
Yay! We’re so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing your experience, Kate!
Joan says
Because of allergies I made these substituting peaches for the apples and it was delicious. I love all of your recipes! We are gluten free and vegan with allergies and your site was one of the first with clean actually delicious recipes.I find the recipes to be very easy to substitute what I need to. Thanks!
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Joan! A peach version sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing! xo
Alice says
Hi I’m so excited to try this out! Quick question, will any nut work apart from almonds in the crust? Could you sub in pecans or cashews or hazelnuts for example?
Thanks
Hi Alice, we think any of those would work! You may not need quite as much coconut oil though. Let us know if you try it!
neha says
Hi! Can I make this recipe in a 7” round pan to make it look like a pie 🥧?
That should work great!
Jennifer Spitzer says
For flavor, technique and healthy goodness, this recipe is a champion! Also easy to customize.
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jennifer! xo
Habon says
I just made this last night with my little one, we both enjoyed making something sweet. We topped it of with vanilla ice cream on the side. I made it just like the recipe says, but the only thing was that l ran out of coconut oil for crumble topping. Instead l used avocado oil, it worked out very well. The bars came out beautifully like the picture, moist and it didn’t fall apart. Thank for sharing these lovely recipes with the world.
Well make these bars once a week or two, since it will go pretty fast.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Habon! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Sophia says
I’m not sure what I did wrong but my crust was very crumbly and dry. It was impossible to cut squares as nothing help together. It wasn’t very tasty at all. My apples were a bit crunchy still and didn’t produce much juice. I bakes it according to the instructions except for substituting date sugar for coconut sugar, I added an extra tablespoon of coconut oil to the crust and I didn’t peel the apples. I’m pretty disappointed with the results and won’t be making this again.
We’re so sorry that was your experience, Sophia! We wonder if not peeling the apples may have been the issue? The peel could lock in some of the moisture, preventing the apples from cooking fully and leading to a more dry result.
Jaime says
Just wanted to mention that using date sugar necessitates extra liquid in a recipe. Since it is literally desiccated dates, it absorbs a good amount of moisture in recipes – even though it is a great sweetener alternative! :)
KFR says
Hmm mine did not turn into bars, not sure what I did wrong? I felt like it should have been more liquid-y & personally cooking the apples before hand dried them out.
Hi, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out right! Did you cover the apples with foil? That should help keep the moisture in so they steam and become tender and a bit saucy. If they didn’t, it sounds like they may have needed more time to cook.