Apple Streusel Bars

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If you are in the mood for an utterly decadent, buttery, brown-sugary dessert, then you’ll love these Apple Streusel Bars. They are made with allergen-friendly ingredients, flavored with cinnamon, and textured with pecans. Are these bars a brunch thing? Dessert? Other? Yes. And your tastebuds will be SO PLEASED. {Gluten-Free + Vegan}

Okay, so a recipe that is basically gluten-free flour, gluten-free oats, allergen-friendly butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, where are we at with that, Spiriteds? I mean, it’s utterly ridiculous, the whole thing. And by that I mean these Apple Streusel Bars are downright decadent.

DON’T WORRY. I saw a recipe that required 10 tablespoons of butter. And I was like, nope, I’m not doing 10 tablespoons of butter. Instead, I think I landed somewhere in the DOUBLE THAT range. It’s…a lot…of butter…because EGG-FREE. It’s also A LOT of flour and oats and brown sugar. 

And all I can say is, WORTH IT. 

These Apple Streusel Bars are perfect for breakfast, brunch, and dessert. They can be refrigerated or served warm. I’m pretty sure they’ll outlive us in an apocalypse. And if they can survive an apocalypse, then they can certainly survive a car ride. So now we want to take these on our road trips because they are pleasantly filling and big on flavor. These delights are whatever you need them to be.

Because it’s apples and cinnamon and apricot jam. And what can I say? These bars are shareable treats. Apple Streusel Bars are the recipe for family get-togethers and road trips and snowed-in weekends. 

So, grab the butter, brown sugar, flour, and a potato masher (yes, I’m serious), and let’s get our buttery butter ON, Spiriteds!

Apple Streusel Bars are

• Gluten-free and dairy-free
• Egg-free and vegan-friendly
• Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
• Sweet and warming with an oaky undertone (thanks to the brown sugar and cinnamon)

Side note: Select vegan-friendly brown sugar and butter varieties to ensure your Apple Streusel Bars are free of animal products, if you or your guests would like that.

Apple Streusel Bars ingredients

• Base layer: Gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour, gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or gluten-free sprouted oats, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and allergen-friendly butter. I’m partial to Trader Joe’s plant-based butter and Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread (in the red tub). You’ll also want room temperate tap water if your base layer is too crumbly.
• Apple filling: Large Pink Lady apples (peeled and evenly sliced), more allergen-friendly butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and apricot jam (we find our jam at Trader Joe’s).
• Streusel topping: Gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour, gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or gluten-free sprouted oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, allergen-friendly butter, and chopped pecans.

How to make Apple Streusel Bars

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish. Line with parchment paper, if desired, and set aside.
2. To prepare the filling, peel the apples and slice them into similarly-sized wedges. Then place them in a skillet and add the butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Simmer on a LOW to MEDIUM heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Just as the apple slices soften, stir in the apricot jam. Place the lid on the pan and simmer another 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens enough to easily transfer to the 9×13 baking dish and the apple slices are fork-tender.
3. While the apples are cooking, begin the crust. To a high-speed blender add the gluten-free baking flour, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and sea salt. Pulse until the ingredients are ground into small granules or crumbs. Transfer the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and add the butter. Using table knives or a zig-zag potato masher, cut in the butter until evenly combined. Add room temperature water a tablespoon at a time, up to about 1/4 cup, until the dough is easily pinched and pressed without falling apart. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and press it into an even layer. Pour the apple filling from the skillet onto the crust and spread the apple slices into a single layer. Set aside.
4. To make the streusel, pulse the gluten-free flour, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until a crumbly texture forms. Do not overmix. Then transfer to a mixing bowl and cut in the butter. Leave crumbly and fold in the chopped pecans. Spread the streusel over the apples and bake for about 25 minutes. 

Recipe tips and tricks

• Before cooking the apples, lay the uncooked slices in the empty 9×13 dish. Because the apples will shrink once they cook, you’ll want to make sure you have at least one-and-a-half to two layers of raw apple slices in the dish to yield a single layer of cooked apple filling.
• As you simmer the apple mixture, err on the side of a LOW-to-MEDIUM heat and make sure the lid is in place. It’s okay if the juices pool in the pan and the apples cook in those same juices. Once baked, the juices will act like a glue, holding everything together. And if the crust layer is ready before the apples are done cooking, then let the apples cool just a few minutes so you can safely transfer them to the crust.
• When you create the base layer, blend the dry ingredients until they are evenly ground. If pieces of oatmeal are visible, then that’s okay. But you’ll want to make sure the base layer crust sits flat in the baking dish.
• While preparing the streusel, use quick pulses and, unlike the base layer, don’t mix to a finely-ground consistency. This time you DO want some variation in texture. 
• Experiment with apples. I used sweet Pink Lady apples, and they are some of my absolute favorites. But any sweet apple will do, too. Please note, because some apple varieties are softer than others, simmering times will vary for the filling. You can also switch up the flavors and use a tart Granny Smith apple instead.

Recipe FAQs and troubleshooting

• What is the best way to cut the butter into the dry ingredients? Not gonna lie, I use a potato masher. I like the zig-zag one for this because the dried goods are less likely to stick to it as I mash everything together. You can also use knives, if, unlike me, you are more coordinated! 😊
• How long does it take to make the apple filling? This will depend on the thickness of the apple slices. The more uniform in size they are, the better because they’ll cook at about the same rate. The size of the pan also matters. Larger pans don’t take as long but are prone to scorching the mixture. Smaller pans, like the one I use, take longer (closer to 25 minutes) but produce a lovely filling. On average it’s about 20-25 minutes. Always check every few minutes to ensure the apples are cooking evenly and the filling isn’t burning.
• What should I do if the apples are scorching but haven’t cooked all the way through yet? Turn the heat down. Then stir in 1-2 tablespoons butter and simmer until the apples are fork-tender. Stir frequently if it looks like the apples will begin to burn again.

More baked dessert inspiration!

Get all the baked apple inspiration you want with these perfectly perfect treats!

• Paleo Cinnamon Apple Crisp
• Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips
• Baked Cinnamon Apples

Side note: Don’t throw out your apple peels and cores. Instead, make a cozy batch of Apple Peel Tea!

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Apple Streusel Bars

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If you are in the mood for an utterly decadent, buttery, brown-sugary dessert, then you’ll love these Apple Streusel Bars. They are made with allergen-friendly ingredients and flavored with cinnamon and textured with pecans. Are these bars a brunch thing? Dessert? Other? Yes. And your tastebuds will be SO PLEASED. {Gluten-Free + Vegan}

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Helpful equipment:

• Apple peeler
• Zig-zag potato masher

For the base layer/crust:

• 1 3/4 cups 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
• 1 3/4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or gluten-free sprouted oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2–4 tablespoons room temperature tap water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the apple filling:

• 5 large sweet apples (I used Pink Lady apples), peeled and sliced
• 2–3 tablespoons allergen-friendly butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup apricot jam

For the streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or gluten-free sprouted oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4–5 tablespoons allergen-friendly butter
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish. Line with parchment paper, if desired, and set aside.
2. To prepare the filling, peel the apples and slice them into similarly-sized wedges. Then place them in a skillet and add the butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Simmer on a LOW to MEDIUM heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Just as the apple slices soften, stir in the apricot jam. Place the lid on the pan and simmer another 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens enough to easily transfer to the 9×13 baking dish and the apple slices are fork-tender.
3. While the apples are cooking, begin the crust. To a high-speed blender add the gluten-free baking flour, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and sea salt. Pulse until the ingredients are ground into small granules or crumbs. Transfer the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and add the butter. Using table knives or a zig-zag potato masher, cut in the butter until evenly combined. Add room temperature water a tablespoon at a time, up to about 1/4 cup, until the dough is easily pinched and pressed without falling apart. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and press it into an even layer. Pour the apple filling from the skillet onto the crust and spread the apple slices into a single layer. Set aside.
4. To make the streusel, pulse the gluten-free flour, gluten-free oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until a crumbly texture forms. Do not overmix. Then transfer to a mixing bowl and cut in the butter. Leave crumbly and fold in the chopped pecans. Spread the streusel over the apples and bake for about 25 minutes.

Notes

• Before cooking the apples, lay the uncooked slices in the empty 9×13 dish. Because the apples will shrink once they cook, you’ll want to make sure you have at least one-and-a-half to two layers of raw apple slices in the dish to yield a single layer of cooked apple filling.
• As you simmer the apple mixture, err on the side of a LOW-to-MEDIUM heat and make sure the lid is in place. It’s okay if the juices pool in the pan and the apples cook in those same juices. Once baked, the juices will act like a glue, holding everything together. And if the crust layer is ready before the apples are done cooking, then let the apples cool just a few minutes so you can safely transfer them to the crust.
• When you create the base layer, blend the dry ingredients until they are evenly ground. If pieces of oatmeal are visible, then that’s okay. But you’ll want to make sure the base layer crust sits flat in the baking dish.
• While preparing the streusel, use quick pulses and, unlike the base layer, don’t mix to a finely-ground consistency. This time you DO want some variation in texture.
• Experiment with apples. I used sweet Pink Lady apples, and they are some of my absolute favorites. But any sweet apple will do, too. Please note, because some apple varieties are softer than others, simmering times will vary for the filling. You can also switch up the flavors and use a tart Granny Smith apple instead.