Apple Crumble Bars

A shortbread cookie base + baked Cinnamon Apple filling + crumble topping = an out of this world Gluten-Free, Vegan treat! Perfect any time of year but especially during Apple season and through the Fall and Winter holidays!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com
Apple Crumble Bars

Easy, crowd pleasing and drool worthy!

If you’re looking for our Apple Crisp Recipe, click here.

For Gluten-Free Apple Crumble Bars, read on!

New! I’ve added a cooking video to this page so you can see how easy it is to make these Gluten-Free Apple Crumble Bars!

If you’re new to this website, at the bottom of every recipe page is a printable recipe with exact measurements and directions.

Enjoy!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Original post…

We are so excited for you to try these Gluten-Free Apple Crumble Bars!

Based on our popular Raspberry Crumble Bars but packed with baked cinnamon apples, they are delish!

Perfect any time of year but especially during apple season and through the holidays, they are an easy, decadent tasting dessert…. but they are gluten-free and vegan!

Each layer is delicious but together they are pure magic!

It is shortbread-like cookie base, a baked Cinnamon Apple filling + Crumble Topping and it is out of this world YUMMY!

The cookie base has a nice buttery flavor and perfect texture that provides just enough crunch to balance the baked cinnamon apple filling which tastes just like the apples in an apple crisp and the a crumble topping is the perfect finish!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Plus they are gluten-free, vegan (that is dairy-free and egg-free) so they satisfy so many dietary needs or preferences.

And they are super easy to make!

They are made with 9 real, whole food ingredients:

gluten-free all purpose flour (we use GF Jules, affiliate link)

cane sugar

salt

dairy free butter (or regular butter)

brown sugar

pecans

gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats

fresh chopped apples

cinnamon

Let’s start with the shortbread cookie base…

It’s is just 4 ingredients — Gluten-free all purpose flour (we used GF Jules, affiliate link), sugar, salt and butter or dairy-free butter — and it comes together quickly.

Crumble Bars gluten-free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

As an aside, you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules.  To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.

Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.

And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!

Back to the Apple Crumble Bars

This shortbread cookie base is one of those baking instances where order of operations matters…. mix the dry ingredients, then mix in the butter 1 piece at a time.

Mix well– once the butter is all added in, mix on medium high speed for a minute or two, and a dough will form.

Set aside 1/3 cup to use as part of the crumble topping and press the rest into a prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Crumble Bars gluten-free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

While it bakes, you mix together the apples and cinnamon, which will make our home smell amazing by the way when this bakes!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

And while the shortbread base cooks, also assemble the crumble.

The crumble is 4 ingredients, one being part of the base dough + gluten-free rolled oats (we use GF Harvest, Amazon affiliate link), brown sugar and pecans.

Crumble Bars gluten-free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

To make the crumble, all you do is mix the ingredients together!

When the cookie base is done (it will be set, not browned), top the baked cookie base with the cinnamon apples…

It may look like a lot of apples but if you’ve ever baked an Apple Crisp before, you know that apples shrink a lot when they bake so you want a lot of apples.

When they baked they will release their water and shrink and become the best soft, juicy texture.

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

 

 

 

Then top with the crumble and bake!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

I bake these a bit longer than our other crumble bars to make sure the apples really cook up and form the best filling.

But please note, that I cover the pan with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Your house will smell amazing while these bake and you will be tempted to eat them straight from the hot pan!

You could and they would taste great but they won’t hold together well. So I recommend letting them set and cool a little bit!

They are melt in your mouth yummy, bursting with baked juicy cinnamon apples and my taste testers can’t get enough of them!

Hope you love them as much as we do!

For more Apple Treats, try our:

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Crisp

Apple Coffee Cake 

PIN it!

Apple Crumble Bars gluten free vegan #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

 

Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try.

Recipe

 

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4.53 from 17 votes

Apple Crumble Bars

A shortbread-like cookie base + Baked Cinnamon Apples + Crumble = an out of this world Gluten-Free, Vegan treat! A total crowd-pleaser!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert, Holidays, Cookies and Bars
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan Optional
Servings: 16 bars
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Cookie base (you will reserve 1/3 cup of the base dough for the topping)

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (we used GF Jules, affiliate link)
  • 1/3 cup cane sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons dairy free butter or real butter, softened, cut into tablespoons (we used Earth Balance dairy-free sticks)

Crumble*

  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup pecans finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
  • *plus 1/3 reserved cup of the cookie base dough

Apple Cinnamon filling

  • 3 cups chopped apples peeled and cut to 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  • Line 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper such that the paper hangs over the edges OR is tucked in in such a way that you can lift the paper right out of the pan when the bars are done.

Make the cookie base

  • Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, add flour, cane sugar and salt to a large mixing bowl and on low speed combine for about 5 seconds.
  • Add butter, 1 piece at a time and continue mixing until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Measure and set aside 1/3 cup of the dough, which will be used in the crumble.
  • Using your hands, press the remaining dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown, rotating pan halfway though baking.

Apple Cinnamon Filling

  • While the base bakes, combine chopped apples and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Crumble Topping

  • While the base bakes, add the reserved dough, brown sugar, pecans and oats into the mixing bowl used for the base. Using a mixer, pastry cutter or your hands, mix until combined and "crumbly". Set aside.

Assemble

  • Pour Cinnamon Apples over the hot cookie base and spread evenly. Sprinkle with crumble topping pinching crumble with fingers to create tiny crumble "clumps". Do not press crumble into the filling.
  • Bake 22 minutes, then cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave covered pan in oven 5 more minutes. This will allow apples to bake without over-browning the crumble topping.
  • Let bars cool completely in the pan.
  • When cooled completely, lift the the parchment paper out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into square and enjoy!
  • Store in the refrigerator for several days.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

 

32 thoughts on “Apple Crumble Bars

  1. 5 stars
    A delicious and versatile sweet. Great by itself, as a dessert with a small scoop of ice cream, or even as a breakfast bar with coffee or tea.

  2. 5 stars
    These were delish! Definitely will make them again! Do you think I could sub oat-flour for the regular GF flour?

  3. Absolutely delicious! I used whole wheat flour and regular butter and they turned out great! I have made these recipe three time already, the family loves them.

  4. 5 stars
    These were very good! I love how you can switch out the types of fruit and it still tastes great. One of my favorite recipes ?

  5. 5 stars
    This is a very easy recipe and the crust and crumble are delicious. So glad you suggested using different fruits. Looking forward to making this recipe all year. Thanks.

  6. 4 stars
    Anyone make this without pecans? I can’t have nuts of any kind but not sure how it will be or what to substitute. Thanks

  7. These were so good! Followed the recipe exactly and will definitely make again. Just the right amount of sweetness for me. Perfect as a dessert with a little dairy free vanilla ice cream!

  8. Would coconut sugar work instead of the cane sugar….want to make this for my grandsons who can only have coconut sugar. This sounds delicious!
    Char in IL.

  9. 5 stars
    Better than traditional apple pie! It’s all about that delicious-melt-in-your-mouth shortbread layer, and that buttery-crunchy streusel topping! These were eaten faster than all the other desserts around the table. Thank you for the recipe! They’re delicious!

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