These 2 layer Apple Pie Bars taste just like your favorite fall pie in a delicious square!! We start with a buttery shortbread crust, and top with a perfectly sweetened apple pie filling. Paleo and Vegan, but no one will ever know!
Apple Pie Bars: a portable dessert for any occasion!
Apple Pie Bars are just the dessert that you want in your life! Because so many of you are loving my Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, I knew these Apple Pie Bars would be a huge hit. Everyone will go absolutely nuts over these 2 layers of perfection; a sweetened and moist shortbread crust, with an apple cinnamon pecan topping.
As a nutritionist, I love to take classic recipes and lighten them up! In today’s version, we are using almond flour and coconut flour as the base for the pie crust and then topping with a refined sugar free apple pie filling.
Apple desserts are an absolute FAVORITE for Mr. Wholesomelicious. He is not the chocolate lover like his wife, although he certainly doesn’t shy away from my all time favorite chocolate desserts. It’s only fair that every once in awhile, I bake something I know he will go absolutely bonkers over!! And a dessert he doesn’t have to share with me. Because, FYI, the perfect husband is HORRIBLE at sharing the foods he likes. And really, would you want to share any part of this delicious stack?? Probably not!!
These Apple Pie Bars are perfect for any fall celebration. 4th of July celebration? Oh yes. Back to school treat? YUP! Lunchbox item? Sure! Fall celebration with friends or family? Absolutely!
These would even be perfect as a Thanksgiving treat for those guests who follow a Gluten-free, Vegan, or Paleo diet. And don’t tell the others, they won’t ever know!
How to make Apple Pie Bars
- To make these squares of goodness, you’ll first make the crust. Combine the crust ingredients into a food processor, and once the dough like texture is formed, press into the bottom of a square baking dish. Transfer to the oven to bake.
- While it’s baking, make your filling on the stovetop.
- Set aside the crust to cool. Once the filling is thickened and crust is slightly cooled, pour filling on top, and return to the oven to bake.
It’s best to let these completely cool, and be chilled before cutting into squares.
Serving and Storing:
- Serving: After the bars have been completely chilled and are set, you can warm up to serve, or keep them chilled. I love desserts chilled, but that is definitely a personal preference! If you are serving warm, topping with vanilla ice cream is also a great idea.
- Storing: Store these in an air tight container in the fridge or the freezer. They don’t do as well at room temperature. You can store in the fridge for up to one week, or the freezer for up to 3 months!
Other dessert bars you will love!
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Apple Pie Bars (Vegan & Paleo)
Apple Pie Bars have a buttery shortbread crust with a delicious apple cinnamon topping! These bars are simple to make and loved by all. You'll love that they are Paleo, Vegan, and Gluten-free!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
For the filling:
- 2 large apples cored, peeled and diced
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 or 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
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To make your crust, combine all crust ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until a dough like texture forms. Press the crust into the pan, evenly distributing. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins. Set aside and cool. Leave oven on.
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Meanwhile, make your filling. Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, arrowroot starch, and salt in a small bowl. Coat the apples with the dry mixture.
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Place apple mixture, water, lemon, and maple syrup in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken and caramelize (7-10 mins). Now stir in pecans. Remove.
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Once crust is cooled, top with filling and spread evenly.
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Bake for 20-22 minutes or until sauce has bubbled up and looks a golden color. Remove from heat. Cool completely, and refrigerate before cutting.
This recipe looks great! Can I subsitute gluten based flours to replace the almond flour and coconut flour? If so, which flours would you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, it would work fine, but I am not exactly sure on the conversion measurements. My best guess would be 2 cups gluten free flour. You could also try cassava flour, 2 cups.
This looks amazing! Any suggestions for coconut oil or coconut flour substitutes in this recipe? My husband is allergic to coconut.
You can use ghee or butter in place of the coconut oil. And I would try tapioca flour in place of coconut flour. Let me know how it turns out with these substitutions!!
Any suggestions on substitutions for the arrowroot other than tapioca?
Super delicious! Even better the second day. We put almond whipped cream on them the first evening. My husband wanted one for breakfast the next morning, so we both had one. Really good with a hot coffee!they were easy to make. I will definitely be making them often.
These are very good. My only complaint is there isn’t a nutritional breakdown. Have to count carbs for a diabetic family member. So it is important to know how many carbs are in a serving.
The recipe notes contain the nutrition facts!