These gluten-free apple crisp bars have all the sweet, warm flavors of classic apple crisp in the convenience of handheld bars! Complete with a homemade oat crust and extra crumbly topping, they’re perfect for holiday parties and weeknight treats. Dairy-free option, too.
These bars were inspired by the fall flavors in my gluten-free apple bread. I wanted to take those flavors and turn them into layers—a crunchy crust, thick apple filling, and crisp topping with minimal effort. Basically, a cross between apple crumble and apple crisp. After a few rounds of testing (and plenty of taste-tests from me and friends), apple crisp bars were born!
They’ve got the best of both worlds, include a dairy-free option, and will make your whole house smell like fall baking heaven.
Lindsay’s Tips Before You Begin
- Measure the oats if possible. Rolled oats can vary a lot in weight by brand. So, a food scale gives the most accurate results. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method (spoon flour or oats into the cup, then level it off). This keeps the crust from turning out too dry.
- Use the right amount of apples. Three medium apples (after peeling) equal about 3 cups chopped. Aim for 2 ⅔ cups to 3 cups total and dice them small so they soften evenly in the filling.
- Adjust the sweetness of the filling to taste. Granny Smith apples are tart and may need extra sugar, while Fuji or Honeycrisp apples are naturally sweeter and need less. Taste before thickening the filling.
- Customize the topping. For the thick, bakery-style topping you see in the photos, I like to make the extra crumble and mix it with the reserved crust. It holds the filling together beautifully and creates that golden topping. But if you’re short on time, you can use just the reserved crust as your topping. The bars will still bake up delicious and hold once chilled, but the top will be a little lighter and softer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
Crust & Crisp Topping
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats – These create a crumbly consistency. Do not substitute quick oats or steel-cut oats, or the texture won’t be the same.
- Gluten-Free Flours – A combination of fine almond flour and gluten-free oat flour helps combine the ingredients without making the mixture too crumbly.
Flour Substitutes: 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour can be substituted for the oat flour and almond flour combination. The crust will bake up a little denser, and you may need to adjust the crust batter by adding a bit more liquid, such as the maple syrup mentioned.
- Sweeteners – Coconut sugar or brown sugar and maple syrup add sweetness with a subtle molasses taste.
- Melted Butter – Use regular or dairy-free butter, or substitute coconut oil if preferred.
Note: Butter makes the crust rich and a little crisper (and bakes slightly faster). Refined coconut oil has almost no flavor (unlike unrefined coconut oil) and will keep the crust a bit softer and moister. Both work!
- Spices – Cinnamon and salt add extra depth to the topping.
- Leavener – Baking powder helps give the crust a light lift.
- Extra Topping – Combine unsalted butter (or coconut oil), coconut sugar, almond flour (or gluten-free flour), and cinnamon for a topping.
Apple Filling
- Apples – Use any apples you like best. (See Lindsay’s Tips above.)
- Unsalted Butter – Again, use regular or dairy-free butter, or substitute coconut oil.
- Sweetener – Coconut sugar or brown sugar adds just a touch of sweetness without making the filling grainy.
- Lemon Juice – This helps brighten the filling, and the pectin creates a slightly thicker consistency.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt add flavor and warmth.
- Cornstarch Slurry – A combination of cornstarch and water helps thicken the filling so it doesn’t run all over the place.
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Crisp Bars
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust. Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Note: If you’re using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour, you may need to add extra maple syrup to help bind the batter. Start with 2 tablespoons, and adjust as needed.
- Bake. Press about ⅔ of the crust mixture (reserve the remainder of the batter for the topping) in an even layer in the bottom of the pan, and bake until lightly golden. Then, set aside to cool.
- Prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Then, add the apples, sugar, spices, and lemon juice. Cook until the apples soften and release their juices, stirring occasionally. Then, add the cornstarch slurry, and cook to thicken. Set aside.
- Prep the extra crumble topping (If using). Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Then, cut in the softened butter until coarse crumbs form, and combine with the remaining crust.
- Layer. Spread the apple filling over the baked crust, and sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the top.
- Bake. Transfer the apple crisp bars to the oven, and bake again until the topping is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Chill. Allow the apple bars to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or better yet, overnight before slicing. The longer the apple bars cool, the more the filling will firm up and create neat, even layers when slicing.
TIP: Chilling isn’t required, but highly recommended for clean, even slices. At room temperature, the bars are still delicious—just expect a softer filling and a slightly crumbly topping.
- Serve. Use a sharp knife to slice through the layers, then enjoy as is or topped with coconut whip, vanilla ice cream, or caramel sauce!
How to Store
Make ahead: You can bake the crust a day or two in advance and keep it in the fridge, or even freeze it until you’re ready to add the filling.
Store: Store leftover apple crisp bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Slice and wrap bars individually, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving, or warm briefly in the oven or microwave.
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Apple Recipes
Apple Crisp Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Gluten-free apple crisp bars with a crumble oat topping, warm spiced apple filling, and soft, chewy layers. Perfect for fall baking!
Ingredients
Crust & Crisp Topping
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats (145 g)
- ½ cup blanched fine almond flour (56 g) *See notes if you prefer to use gluten-free all purpose flour.
- ¾ cup gluten-free oat flour (90 g)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or as needed)
- ½ cup melted butter/dairy-free butter (or refined coconut oil).
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples, peeled and diced ½ to 1 inch thick ( 3 cups chopped)
- 1–2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (regular or dairy-free) or refined coconut oil.
- 2–3 Tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar (adjust to taste)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon water (slurry)
Extra Crumble Topping (see topping notes)
- 2 –3 Tablespoon softened unsalted butter or dairy-free butter.
- 3 Tablespoon coconut sugar or sugar of choice
- ¼ cup blanched fine almond flour or Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Make Crust: In a bowl, mix oats, flours, sugar, maple syrup, butter or coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until sticky. If you are using gluten-free 1:1 flour, you might need 1-2 tablespoon more maple syrup to help the batter bind. Start with 2 tablespoons and adjust as needed.
- Press about ⅔ of mixture firmly into the pan to form a crust (reserve ~½ cup for topping). Bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool slightly.
- Make Filling: In a skillet, melt butter or oil over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice.
- Cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and release juices. Stir in cornstarch slurry; cook 1–2 minutes more until thickened and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- For the extra crumble topping: In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in softened butter until coarse crumbs form. Mix with reserved crust topping.
- Spread apple filling over baked crust. Sprinkle remaining crust and crumble evenly over the top. Shortcut option: If you’d rather skip the extra crumble, just sprinkle the reserved ½ cup crust mixture over the apples for a lighter topping. See notes.
- Return to the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes (check at 40 min) until topping is golden and apples are bubbling.
- Let the bars cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours (overnight is best) to allow the filling to fully set. This gives you clean slices and even layers. Note: You can slice at room temp, but the bars will be softer with a more crumbly topping.
- Storage: These hold at room temp for 2 days, but last up to 5 days covered or individually wrapped in the fridge.
Notes
Flour Substitutes: 1 cup (145 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour can be substituted for the oat flour and almond flour combination. The crust will bake up a little denser, and you may need to adjust the crust batter by adding a bit more liquid, such as maple syrup mentioned. Baking times will also vary a little bit.
Filling: Taste the filling before thickening. Add more sugar for tart apples (Granny Smith), less for naturally sweet ones (Fuji/Honeycrisp).
Topping Tip: The extra crumble gives a thick, bakery-style crisp top that holds the filling neatly. Use 2 tablespoon butter for a lighter, crispier topping, or 3 tablespoon for a richer, clumpier bakery-style finish. If you use only the reserved crust, the topping will be lighter and slightly softer, but the bars will still hold together once fully chilled.
Make-ahead: The crust can be baked ahead and stored in the fridge (up to 2 days) or frozen until ready to add filling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill time (2-3 hours or overnight):
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven/Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar with extra topping
- Calories: 267
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 59.4 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.2 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
I knew I had to try this recipe as soon as you published it! I had everything but the lemon juice so I used a splash of apple cider vinegar instead. I used coconut oil in the crumble topping to keep it dairy-free. I should have used the plant based butter so it would brown more on top, but it was still so so delicious! Can’t wait to make them again.
Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad you made them and enjoyed them. You’re right—coconut oil doesn’t brown the same way, so it’s not the best choice for the extra crumble topping. I’ve had good results with non-dairy butter though—it browns just as nicely as regular butter and works great for the extra topping. Most non-dairy butters (like Earth Balance, Miyoko’s, or Country Crock Plant) contain added oils that help them brown more like butter. While they don’t develop quite the same nutty flavor since there are no milk solids, they still crisp up nicely and give you that golden, bakery-style topping.