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!

Yield: 16 bars

Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars

4.6 Stars (7 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

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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

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• 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

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• 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

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. 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.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, 1 1/4 cup oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter.
3. Measure out about 2/3 of the crumble and press into the bottom of a lined 8x8in square pan.
4. Add the remaining 1/4 cup oats to the leftover crumble and mix together. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, combine all of the ingredients required for the filling and mix together until the apples are fully coated.
6. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the top of the bottom crumble layer.
7. Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the apple mixture.
8. Place the pan bake in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top comes out golden brown.
9. 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:

Yield:

16 bars

Serving Size:

1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Desserts Cuisine: Gluten Free

If 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

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