These Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crumble Bars are crunchy and chewy, perfectly spiced and filled with tender caramel apples.
Why you'll love these Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crumble Bars:
- they're undetectably vegan and gluten-free
- they're chewy and crunchy
- they're filled with tender and silky apples
- they taste like salted caramel
- they're warmly spiced
- they're refined sugar free
- they're nut-free optional
- they're oil-free optional
- they're delicious hot or cold
- they're a perfect dessert, breakfast or snack for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
How to make these Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crumble Bars
Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe including measurements and instructions.
- Place the coconut oil, coconut sugar, apples, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a pan.
- Leave to cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until soft.
- Dissolve the cornflour (cornstarch) in a tiny splash of water in a small bowl.
- Once the apples have cooked, add the cornflour and water mixture and mix well.
- Once the apples have thickened (takes about 30 seconds), turn off the heat.
- Place all the ingredients for the base and topping in a food processor.
- Whizz until you get a fairly smooth and firm dough.
- Divide the dough for the base and topping into thirds.
- Take two thirds and place into a square baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin).
- Spread it carefully across the bottom of the tin, using the bottom of a glass to even out the surface, if necessary.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until firm to the touch.
- Spread the cooked apple mixture over the base.
- Use your fingers to crumble the rest of the dough over the top until it is all used up and the apples are roughly covered.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top.
- Leave to cool before cutting into squares.
How to serve these Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crumble Bars
These Apple Crumble Bars can be enjoyed hot or cold. They're delicious by themselves but also taste amazing with plant-based ice cream or yogurt.
Substitutions you can make to this recipe:
- you can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, rice milk, soy milk etc
- if you're not into apples, you can use any type of fruit: pears, peaches, plums, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries etc (just adjust cooking time accordingly)
- you can top it with any type of chopped nuts before baking: pecan nuts, walnuts, pistachios, desiccated coconut, flaked coconut etc
- for an oil-free option, omit the coconut oil from the apples and substitute the coconut oil in the crumble topping with nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter
- for a nut-free option, use a nut-free plant-based milk.
How long do these Apple Crumble Bars keep for?
These Apple Crumble Bars keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
More vegan apple desserts:
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 4 apples , cored, peeled finely sliced (around 900g/32oz in total)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
- 6 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch sea salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) (or sub tapioca starch)
For the base and topping:
- 225 g (2 ¼ cup) rolled oats (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 195 g (1 ⅛ cup) pitted dates
- 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
For the apples:
- Place the apples, coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a pan with a lid
- Leave to cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until softened
- Dissolve the cornflour in a tiny splash of water in a small bowl
- Once the apples have cooked, add the cornflour and water mixture and mix well
- Once the apples have thickened (takes about 30 seconds), turn off the heat
For the base and topping:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until you get a fairly smooth and firm dough
To assemble:
- Divide the dough for the base and topping into thirds
- Take two thirds and place into a square or rectangular baking tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin)
- Spread it carefully across the bottom of the tin, using the bottom of a glass to even out the surface, if necessary
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes until firm to the touch
- Spread the cooked apple mixture over the base
- Use your fingers to crumble the rest of the dough over the top until it is all used up and the apples are roughly covered
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top
- Leave to cool before cutting into squares
- Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days
Notes
- You can top it with any type of chopped nuts before baking: pecan nuts, walnuts, pistachios, desiccated coconut, flaked coconut etc.
- For an oil-free option, omit the coconut oil from the apples and substitute the coconut oil in the crumble topping with nut butter such as almond butter or peanut butter.
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Gita
Can I make the cooked apple a few days ahead? (There’s so much to cook on thanksgiving day itself )
Rhian Williams
Hi - yes you definitely can! Happy Thanksgiving!