Apple Crisp Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan).

These apple crisp bars are the perfect fall dessert, with sweet apples and a crunchy, sugary topping. Gluten free, vegan, and nut free, this is a dessert that everyone can enjoy!

One of the best parts of any holiday meal is the dessert. And apple pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert.

But if you’re short on time, making a pie can be daunting. You need to make the dough for the crust, chill it, then roll it out. And if it’s gluten free dough, you have to be careful…it can rip really easily.

That’s where these apple crisp bars come in. They have all the delicious flavor of apple pie, but don’t take too much time or fussing. They’re a little firmer than apple crisp, since they have a top and bottom crust. These are just right with some vegan ice cream or eaten plain warm out of the oven.

These apple crisp bars have a delicious flavor from the apples and cinnamon, and they also have a buttery, crunchy topping made from gluten free oats.

This recipe is kind of a cross between apple pie and apple crisp. The topping is a traditional crisp topping, but there’s also a crust on the bottom. The best of both worlds.

Can I make this recipe without oats?

If you can’t have oats, you could try making this with just gluten free flour. Just substitute an equal amount of gluten free flour in place of the oats. The crust and the topping would then have a softer texture. I think it would still be delicious, but the texture would not be as rustic.

I love to have both apple and pumpkin desserts during autumn. If you’re serving a holiday meal, these apple bars would go well with this pumpkin cake with molasses buttercream, or these gluten free pumpkin sugar cookies.

Can I make these with regular flour?

Sure, if you are not gluten free, these will work well with all-purpose flour or spelt flour.

These apple crisp bars are:

• delicious and easy to make
• gluten free, vegan, and nut free
• perfect for your Thanksgiving menu

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Apple Crisp Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan).

These gluten free and vegan apple crisp bars are a delicious fall dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dairy Free, gluten free, vegan.

Keyword thanksgiving desserts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 9

Calories 411 kcal

Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup gluten free oat flour*
• ⅔ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup gluten free oats
• ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
• ½ cup vegan buttery spread chopped into small pieces
• pinch sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons water

For the apple filling:

• 3 Granny Smith apples peeled and sliced thin
• 3 Tablespoons organic cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

For the crumb topping:

• 6 Tablespoons vegan buttery spread cut into small pieces
• 1 cup gluten free oats
• ¼ cup gluten free oat flour*
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a mini food processor and pulse until a fine flour forms.

Make the crust:

1. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, ground pumpkin seeds, oats, organic cane sugar, and sea salt. Add the vegan buttery spread and use a pastry cutter or two knives to mix the butter into the flour. Add the 2 Tablespoons of water and mix it until it comes together as a thick dough.

2. Place the dough into an eight inch square glass baking pan and use your hands to spread it out and pat it down. Bake for 10 minutes while you make the apple filling and crumb topping. Set the empty bowl aside so that you can mix the crumb topping in it as well.

Make the apple filling:

1. Place the thinly sliced apples in a large bowl and add the ground ginger, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir to combine. 

Make the crumb topping:

1. In the bowl you used to make the crust, combine the oats, oat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vegan buttery spread. Combine with a pastry cutter until the oat mixture looks like a crumbly topping. 

2. Spread the apples evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the buttery oat topping all over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. 

3. If the topping starts to get too dark, cover it with a piece of foil. Let these bars cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream or coco whip if desired. 

Recipe Notes

*If you cannot find oat flour, you can make your own by grinding gluten free oats in the food processor. Just process them until they turn into a fine flour.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Crisp Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan).

Amount per Serving

Calories

411

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

4

g

25

%

Sodium

 

215

mg

9

%

Potassium

 

235

mg

7

%

Carbohydrates

 

56

g

19

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar

 

33

g

37

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

870

IU

17

%

Vitamin C

 

2.8

mg

3

%

Calcium

 

39

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1.9

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What desserts are on your Thanksgiving menu this year? Is your allergy friendly pantry stocked for the holidays yet?