healthy apple crumble bars

These healthy apple crumble bars are vegan, gluten free, sugar free and contain no oil or butter. They are super delicious!

I have an apple tree in my garden. It produces the most delicious large green apples. The apples are great to eat on their own, but with so many of them, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into dishes and desserts.

I love apple pie, tarts and everything apple. The scent of apple and cinnamon is in my eyes one of the most delicious flavor combo’s there is. So obviously, that’s why I turned a few of my apples into these healthy apple crumble bars.

This recipe is just like a classic apple crumble pie/coffee cake but, of course, with a healthy twist! The ingredients used are so much more healthy for you, but the flavors are out of this world. This dessert tastes almost the same as the real deal, but it is completely vegan, gluten free and uses absolutely no oil and no butter at all.

The ingredients for these healthy apple crumble bars

Let’s look at some of the ingredients of this dessert and see why it’s much more healthier than your standard apple crumble dessert.

• oat flour + cashew flour or almond flour

This recipe uses oat flour and cashew flour instead of regular white all purpose flour, which is super refined and is full of “empty” calories. Oat flour and nut flour however, is whole grain and full of healthy nutrients and fibers. A much more concious choice.

• maple syrup and xilitol

This dessert is sweetened with a bit of maple syrup and xilitol, making this dessert free from refined sweeteners such as white sugar. Maple syrup adds a lot of flavor and natural sweetness to these healthy apple crumble bars. The xilitol is diabetic friendly and does not spike your blood sugar. Together, they make this dessert deliciously sweet, without the high amounts of sugar.

• cashew butter ( or almond butter)

The cashew butter in this recipe is used as a healthier and whole foods replacement for oil or butter. It gives this recipe a buttery and creamy taste, which really mimics actual butter, except it is totally vegan!

• chopped raisins

This recipe uses a lot of dried raisins in the filling, to naturally sweeten the apples without the use of too much sweeteners. Raisins are full of anti-oxidants such as resveratrol and healthy fibers.

How to make these healthy apple crumble bars

Making these healthy apple crumble bars is really easy! You only need 1 dough to make the bottom layer and the topping!

Start by making the dough and pressing 2/3 of it into a lined baking tray. Than, make the apple filling and spread out onto the bottom layer. Add a bit of extra xilitol to the remaining dough and some slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts and sprinkle on top of the apples. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Tips:

• Cashew flour and cashew butter are my preferred ingredients in this recipe, but you could also use almond flour and almond butter as a sub. That works too. I don’t recommend using other nut butters, as the color of the dish will vary.
• Make your own cashew flour! Just grind up raw, unroasted cashews or blend them in a food processor until a fine flour.
• If you don’t have xilitol, substitute it with monk fruit or erythritol.

servings: 12 slices

Ingredients to make these healthy apple crumble bars:

For the dough and crumble topping:

• 150 grams oat flour
• 150 grams cashew flour or almond flour
• 80 grams maple syrup
• 50 grams xilitol + 3 tbsp xilitol
• 50 grams cashew butter / almond butter
• 1,5 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 25 grams slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts

To make the apple filling:

• 4 large organic apple, unpeeled and cut in 1 cm chunks
• 50 grams xilitol
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 75 grams raisin, chopped
• 1 tbsp tapioca or potato starch

Method:

1. Preheat your oven at 165 c. Line 20 x 30 baking tin with parchment paper. 
2. add the oat flour, cashew flour, xilitol, baking powder and salt to a bowl and stir.
3. In a small bowl, add the maple syrup, the cashew butter, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until smooth.
4. Add this to the flour mixture and knead into a crumbly dough. The dough should be crumbly but shouldn’t be too dry that it can’t stick together. If a little too dry, add a bit of plant based milk a tiny bit at a time.
5. Press 2/3 of the dough into the baking tin. 
6. To the remaining dough, add the extra 3 tbsps of xilitol and the slivered almonds to make the crumble topping. Rub with your hands to make it into a sand like, crumbly dough. Set aside.
7. Make the apple filling. Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Add the filling to the baking tin and press flat. 
8. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples and bake for about 45 minutes or longer until the crumble is golden brown and the apples soft and cooked.
9. Leave to cool completely before cutting into slices. 
10. Enjoy!