Easy Apple Crumble Bars Recipe (Vegan)
These vegan apple crumble bars feature a cinnamon apples between an oatmeal crumble crust and crisp topping.
About this Recipe
If you’re looking for easy and delicious apple bars, this is the recipe for you! It features a gooey apple layer between an oatmeal crust and crumble topping.
This recipe uses a simple oat and flour streusel for both the crust and topping, which makes them really easy to make!
These bars are perfect for the fall season when a variety of fresh apples are in season but you’ll love them any time for a sweet treat you can whip up with just a few pantry ingredients.
For more apple recipes, how about making Vegan Apple Cake with Caramel Topping or Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Crisp too! For more crumble bar variations, these Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars and Vegan Berry Crumble Bars are really yummy.
Ingredients
- Oats: Rolled oats or old fashioned oats are best but quick oats would also work.
- Flour: The recipe calls for all-purpose flour. You can substitute gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or spelt flour.
- Cinnamon & Cloves: Use cinnamon and cloves or just cinnamon if you don’t have cloves. Apple pie spice would also work or you can try a pinch of other spices like ginger and nutmeg.
- Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract if you have it, if not artificial vanilla is ok.
- Butter: You can use vegan butter, butter or melted coconut oil.
- Apples: Any variety of apple works. You can use something tart like Granny Smith or something a bit sweeter like gala, honeycrisp, pink lady or Fuji. I went with tart apples since the oatmeal crust and crumble is quite sweet but use your favourite apples.
- Sugar: You’ll need brown sugar for the crust and crumble and regular sugar for the apple pie filling.
- Cornstarch (Corn Flour): This thickens the apple filling. You should be able to substitute tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.
Please note the complete ingredient list with measurements is located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 350 F and lining a 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. It’s not totally necessary to line the pan but it does make it easy to lift the bars out after baking.
If you don’t have parchment paper, spray the dish with a light coating of non-stick cooking spray or rub with a little oil or butter.
Step 1: To make the crumble mixture, melt the butter and mix with oats, flour, brown sugar, vanilla and spices in a large bowl until you have a wet, somewhat sandy consistency.
Step 2: Chop the apple into small pieces then add to a saucepan with sugar, cornstarch, lemon and spices. Cook over low heat while stirring often until the apples are soft and gooey, about 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Step 3: Firmly press about 1 3/4 cup of the oat crumble mixture into the bottom of the baking dish to form the crust.
Step 4: Add the apple filling to the crust then sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture. Press everything down gently with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula.
Step 5: Bake the bars for 35 minutes then allow them to cool for at least 1 hour in the pan, or preferably until completely cool.
I know it’s hard to wait but they need time to firm as they cool! I don’t recommend skipping this otherwise they’ll crumble when you try to cut them into bars.
Once the bars have cooled for at least an hour but preferably until completely cool, lift them out of the pan, slice and enjoy!
I like to let them cool for a while then put them in the fridge to chill. Once chilled, they’re firm and the crust layer is crisp but chewy.
If you didn’t use parchment paper, slice them in the pan and remove the bars one at at time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. To freeze the bars, let them cool completely then either freezer them wrapped tightly in the pan or transfer to a freezer bag or container. I would recommend putting a piece of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
Thaw the bars at room temperature or in the fridge and enjoy.
You can use your favorite apples or whatever you have available. You can also use two different kinds of apples for more depth of flavour.
Some good choices are envy, ambrosia, Fuji, gala, Braeburn for sweet apples. For tart apples, granny smith works.
Storing Instructions
- Let cool completely before storing.
- Store wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the pan or transfer to an airtight container.
- The bars will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature or 5-7 days in the fridge. I’d recommend storing them in the fridge.
More Crumble Recipes
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Vegan Apple Crumble Bars
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These apple pie crumble bars are somewhere between apple pie and apple crisp, all packaged up in a yummy oat crumble bar and perfect for apple season.
Ingredients
Crust and Crumble
- 1 ½ cup old-fashioned oats (150 g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar (110 g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted (115 g)
- pinch of salt, if using unsalted butter
Apple Pie Filling
- 3 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apples (420 g, about 2 large or 3–4 small apples)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves, optional
- 2 tbsp white granulated sugar (35 g)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 mL)
Instructions
- Prepare: Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lining an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Be sure to leave some parchment paper sticking out to make removing the bars easier. If you don’t have parchment paper, lightly grease the pan or spray with a light coating of cooking spray.
- Mix Crust and Crumble: Melt the butter and combine it with the oats, flour, brown sugar, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir the mixture until a wet, sandy mixture forms. Set aside.
- Make Apple Pie Filling: In a medium sized saucepan, combine the apples, spices, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir the mixture regularly over medium-low heat until the apples soften and the mixture is gooey, about 10 minutes.
- Assemble Bars: While the apples are cooking, spread about 1 3/4 cups of oat mixture along the bottom of the baking dish and press it down firmly to create a crust. Once the the apples are ready, add the apple mixture over the crust in an even layer and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top to form the crumb topping. Press everything down gently using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Bake and Cool: Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 40 minutes until golden brown and then allow to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour or preferably until completely cool before removing from the pan. Do not skip this step as the bars need to firm as they cool. If you cut them too early, they will fall apart. If you like, you can cool for about 30 minutes then put the pan in the fridge until chilled to speed up the process. Once chilled, they’re nice and firm.
- Serve: Lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper, cut into 12 pieces and enjoy! For large bars, you can slice into 9 servings. For smaller bars, slice into 16. If you didn’t use parchment paper, cut the bars directly in the pan and carefully remove one at at time. For a special dessert, serve warm in a bowl with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Granny Smith apples generally work best for apple pie type dishes, but other apples that can be used include Gala, Fuji and Honeycrisp apples. You can also use a combination of different apples.
Let the bars cool completely before storing. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, freeze wrapped tightly in the pan or slice and transfer to a container and freeze for 3-4 months. If layering in the container, put a piece of parchment or wax paper between the layers to prevent sticking.
Use a digital scale to measure the ingredients accurately for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 76 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
Keywords: apple crumble bars
Absolutely delicious and will have these on rotation! So hard waiting for them to cool before eating. I didn’t have vegan butter so just used regular butter. Yum.
★★★★★
Made these last night and they were delicious! Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★