As a college undergraduate, I worked in an organic chemistry lab alongside graduate students to gain research experience. Our advisor gave me my own project, just like he did with the grad students, so in between my regular classes and homework, I ran experiments to try to synthesize a small molecule with anticancer potential.
Around both lunchtime and mid-afternoon, many of us flocked to the small break room located next to one of our lab facilities to eat and re-caffeinate. Most of the grad students went through multiple big mugs of coffee or tea every day to keep up with their workload—and our advisor did, too!
One Friday afternoon as we cleaned up the remnants from lunch, one grad student mentioned that she had a craving for apple pie, especially the sweet cozy spiced filling. The rest of us agreed that sounded good, but we thought nothing more of it…
Until we came back on Monday morning and found a humongous 15” apple pie sitting in the middle of the break room table with just one small sliver missing. The girl popped her head in with a sheepish smile. “I stopped by Costco yesterday, and it just looked so good!” she explained. “Go on, dig in! Have as much as you want!”
These Healthy Small Batch Apple Crumble Bars probably would have been a much better solution! They have those same sweet fruity and cozy spiced flavors that my friend was craving, but they’re quicker to make than an entire apple pie from scratch… And there are virtually no tempting leftovers to deal with!
Besides, who can resist a sugar cookie crust and a hearty oat streusel on top? Certainly not me… Especially with fall vibes in the air! ?
So let’s go over how to make these healthy treats! We’ll start from the bottom… aka the cookie crust! That’s right—you’ll begin with my favorite egg-free cookie dough! You’ll use white whole wheat flour (like this!) for added nutrients, like extra fiber (it has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour!); coconut sugar (like this!) for sweetness; and milk to replace the eggs.
So yes, this cookie dough is safe to eat raw… But if you’re going to do that, I highly recommend making extra so you still have enough to cover the bottom of your pan!
Note: If you don’t have an 8×4” loaf pan (they’re very useful!), then use two mini loaf pans instead.
Next up is the filling! It’s just a mixture of finely diced apples, cinnamon, and a hint of cornstarch. I used red Fuji apples because they’re already very sweet and firm, so I didn’t need to add any additional sweetener to the filling. Hooray!
And finally, the streusel topping! You’ll stir together oats, cinnamon, and a touch more white whole wheat flour. Then stir in a tiny bit of melted butter and pure maple syrup (like this!) for sweetness. The topping tends to clump, so remember to break it up with your fingers into much smaller pieces while sprinkling it over the filling!
How does that look?? I wouldn’t blame you if you said you didn’t want to share! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your apple crumble bars and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Small Batch Apple Crumble Bars | | Print |
- for the topping
- ¼ cup (25g) old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (7g) white whole wheat flour or millet flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- for the filling
- 1 ½ cups (188g) diced apple
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cornstarch
- for the crust
- ⅓ cup (40g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp (15mL) unsweetened cashew milk, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (24g) coconut sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat an 8x4” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the topping, stir together the oats, flour, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center. Pour in the maple syrup and butter, and stir until all ingredients are completely incorporated.
- To prepare the filling, gently toss together the apples, cinnamon, and cornstarch until the apples are evenly coated.
- To prepare the crust, whisk together the flour, baking power, and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan. (If it sticks to your spatula or fingers, then moisten your fingers with a tiny bit of water, and continue as needed.) Spread the filling evenly across the crust. Sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the berries. (It tends to clump, so break it into tiny pieces as you go!) Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the topping feels firm and the crust appears to be done. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan, and let the bars rest for at least 3 hours once at room temperature before slicing and serving.
In the crust, use the following gluten-free flour blend: 2 ½ tablespoons (19g) millet flour, 1 tablespoon (7g) coconut flour, and ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends will work, if measured like this.
Agave or honey may be substituted for the maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.
Brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
I love using red Fuji apples because they’re already plenty sweet (so no need to add any sweetener to the filling!) and firm enough for baking.
If you prefer a thicker layer of streusel, then double the topping.
This is the 8x4” loaf pan that I use. If you can’t find one (and they’re really handy to have!), then divide the batter between two mini loaf pans (they should be 5¾x3” in size). Do not use a 9x5” loaf pan.
After 35 minutes, the apples will still be a little firm. For softer apples, carefully cover the pan with foil, and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. (This will prevent the topping from drying out or burning!)
{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan option, low fat}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Small Batch Blueberry Crumble Bars
♡ Healthy Small Batch Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
♡ Healthy Small Batch Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
♡ Healthy Small Batch Maple Peach Muffins
♡ Healthy Small Batch Lemon Blueberry Muffins
♡ Classic Apple Pie
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Apple Crumble
♡ Healthy Chai Spice Apple Crumble
Hi! If I double the recipe in a 8×8 inch pan, how long should I bake it for? Thanks!
We appreciate your interest in this recipe, Hazel!
We haven’t tried making this specific recipe in an 8 inch square pan yet (but it’s on the list to try!), but I would recommend trying to bake it for about 25-30 minutes, or until the topping feels firm and the crust appears to be done. I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try these crumble bars! 🙂