Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars – a simple buttery gluten free crumble made with certified GF oats surrounding an easy, no peel fruity apple filling! Gluten Free + Vegan
And just like that it’s apple season again! How did we get here so fast? It feels like Halloween was last month but at this point in time it’s basically next month. How??
Instead of freaking ourselves out about how fast time goes by let’s just settle into the moment with a warm, crumbly slice of this apple crumble bar. A soft, crumbly brown sugar and oat crust sandwiching a warm layer of tender cinnamon apples.
Who wants in??
How to Make these Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars
First things first: make your crumble. The crumble here is fairly standard. It’s made up of oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and butter.
A few things to note about the ingredients:
- Make sure to use certified gluten free oats if you absolutely need this recipe to be gluten free. While oats themselves are naturally gluten free they are often grown and processed in a way that means they are often vulnerable to cross contamination. You can read more about this in a post I made in the past about whether or not oats are gluten free and can be included in a gluten free diet.
- You can use dairy butter or vegan butter depending on your diet.
- You can also even use coconut oil if you wish, but I don’t recommend it as highly as using butter. Bars made with coconut oil don’t tend to hold together as well. They’re still very tasty but you may want to enjoy them in a bowl with a spoon. Maybe add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re all set!
The Crumble
So – to make the crumble, simply mix together the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and then stir in the butter until a soft, crumbly mixture forms. Scoop out about 2/3 of the crumble and press evenly into a lined 8×8 inch baking tin.
Take the remaining 1/3 of the crumble and add another 1/4 cup oats. This will be used for your crumble topping. The added oats add a little more texture and crumble. Set aside and prep your filling next.
The Filling
Next up – the filling! Again, this is very easy prep work. Simply add everything needed for the filling (apples, flour, sugar & spice) to a mixing bowl and toss together until combined.
Once the apples are coated well in the spice, flour and sugar, evenly spread them across the top of the bottom crumble layer. Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the apples and that’s it! Pop it in the oven to bake for about 40 minutes and you’re done.
To Peel or Not to Peel?
This is up to you! I personally don’t like peeling apple if I don’t have. It’s tedious, messy and time consuming. If you hate peel in your baked apples then go for it, otherwise just leave them in and save yourself the extra work!
What kind of apples to use?
The best baking apples are ones that will keep its structure while baking. Something like a Red Delicious might be good for general eating, but it would just fall apart during the cook.
Granny Smith apples are always a good go to. They’re crisp, tart and stay tender after baking. In general green apples, or apples with green flecks are great options (think jonagold, braeburn, and golden delicious). Honey crisp (which is what I used) and pink lady’s will also work! You can use one type of apple of a mix of a few – whatever you like!
Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars
Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars - a simple buttery gluten free crumble made with certified GF oats surrounding an easy, no peel fruity apple filling! Gluten Free + Vegan
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1 1/4 cup (175g) gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup (113g) certified gluten free rolled oats, divided
- 3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (170g) melted butter (dairy or non dairy)
Filling
- 3 large apples, cores removed and diced
- 2 tablespoons (18g) gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (28g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Line an 8x8inch square baking tin with baking paper. Make sure to leave an inch of liner hanging over the side so that you can easily pull out the bars. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, 1 1/4 cup oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter.
- Measure out about 2/3 of the crumble and press into the bottom of a lined 8x8in square pan.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup oats to the leftover crumble and mix together. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine all of the ingredients required for the filling and mix together until the apples are fully coated.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the top of the bottom crumble layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the apple mixture.
- Place the pan bake in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top comes out golden brown.
- Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into slices and store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Notes
What kind of apples to use?
- The best baking apples are ones that will keep its structure while baking. Something like a Red Delicious might be good for general eating, but it would just fall apart during the cook.
- Granny Smith apples are always a good go to. In general green apples, or apples with green flecks are great options (think jonagold, braeburn, and golden delicious). Honey crisp (which is what I used) and pink lady’s will also work! You can use one type of apple of a mix of a few – whatever you like!
Nutrition Information
Serving Size:
1 bar Calories: 137Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 3gIf you like this Gluten Free Apple Crumble you might also like…
- Baked Cinnamon Apples
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Paleo Spiced Apple Cookies
- Grain Free Apple & Blackberry Crumble
- Cranberry Apple Crumble
- Blackberry & Apple Paleo Dutch Baby
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp
Kaitlyn says
Hi! I am so excited to try these out for Thanksgiving this year! My only question: I’m taking them to a party on Thursday night. Are they best straight from the oven or can I prep the day before? I think I might prep and just bake right before we go.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Kaitlyn! They do get soft the longer they’re out so I think you’re idea to prep and then bake would be perfect! Hope you love them!
Kara says
Your recipes look amazing. Just wondering, your mission statement confused me. Do you mean “delicious gluten free recipes?”
“My mission is to provide easy and delicious gluten recipes for people who like eating healthy but get distracted by cookies.”
Sarah Nevins says
Whoops! Definitely meant to say gluten free there! Thanks Kara!
Kara says
Your website is so informative and full of great recipes. I have dealt with debilitating pain, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues for years. I was tested for celiac and the test was negative, but I was told I may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity and a candida yeast overgrowth. After going on an anti candida and gluten free diet I saw a huge improvement in my health. I started eating a high amount of healthy foods like almonds, spinach, quinoa, nuts, sweet potatoes and others. However after a couple of years I started having health issues again. I did a ton of research which led me to oxalate sensitivity. High oxalate foods can cause pain and fatigue in oxalate sensitive individuals. Also, apparently there is a link between candida yeast and oxalates. It took many months on the low oxalate diet to see a change as it takes time to decrease the oxalate load on your body. I still follow a gluten free, low oxalate and anti candida diet. When I occasionally take in too many oxalates or too much sugary fruit I do suffer from pain and fatigue flare ups. It’s tough having to avoid things like almond flour and other healthy ingredients in recipes but the consequences are just not worth it for me.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Kara! I’m so glad you’ve found something that seems to help with the flare ups! I’ve heard of the candida diet but the oxalate is a new one on me. It’s really interesting getting to know the fine line between foods that do/don’t cause flare ups for Mike. It seems that he can tolerate things like almonds/sugary foods to a point, but once he goes over a certain amount then the problems start kicking up. Looks like I’ve got some research to do – thanks Kara 🙂
Natalie says
I love apple crumble and these bars looks so delicious! Perfect everyday snack ♥
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Natalie!