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Apple Crumble Bars is a delicious fall inspired dessert that combines fresh apples, oats, and cinnamon for a tasty crumbly bite. It is delicious and cooks up in less than 30 minutes!
Seriously though, nothing beats autumn flavors. Ingredients like pumpkin, cinnamon, maple and apple are the best flavors to incorporate into your cooking and baking this time of the year.
I know that if I am not careful, then I can definitely find myself going overboard indulging in treats this time of year. It takes some seriously strong willpower not to try pumpkin everything, including a pumpkin flavored iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts every day.
In an effort to try to live a healthier lifestyle, I signed up a few weeks ago to work with a virtual trainer for accountability and to get stronger. With doing that, I am working out 5 days a week, lifting weights, and logging everything that I eat to see where I can make small changes.
The working out has taken some getting used to and I have to admit that I find myself sore more days than I would like to be. I was a total cardio head…running was my jam…I avoided the gym like the plague because I loved the idea of lacing up my running shoes and getting out in nature. It was my time to zone out and just be at peace. Doing this I found that my legs got strong, endurance became longer, and my mental health more secure. The downside is that I wasn’t building the muscle that my body needed to make me look more toned.
But enough about that because this blog is all about food and in working with the trainer, I am learning that I can still indulge in the foods that I love and eat even more food if I make healthier swaps where I can. I am also finding creative ways to have sweet treats that utilize pumpkin, cinnamon, maple and apple in a healthier way. So today, I’ve decided to use cinnamon and apple to make a batch of apple crumble bars. These bars have less sugar, more fiber, and a good dose of fat making one serving approximately 141 calories. They are also delicious and so easy to make. Be sure to try them!
What ingredients are needed to make this apple crumble bar recipe?
- Old-fashioned oats
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Coconut oil
- Egg
- Apples
- Vanilla extract
- Ground nutmeg
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Maple syrup
- Chia seeds
How to make apple crumble squares:
Begin the recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Using a food processor, pulse together the old fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, egg, and coconut oil until it forms a crumbly but sticky mixture.
Set aside ⅓ of the mixture to use for the topping. Add the rest of the mixture into the prepared parchment-lined baking pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the diced apples, vanilla extract, lemon juice, ground nutmeg, water, and maple syrup until heated and the sauce is warm. Stir the chia seeds into the apple mixture and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the crust mixture in the baking dish and spread in an even layer.
Sprinkle the reserved ⅓ topping that you set aside on top of the apple mixture evenly.
Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice into bars and serve.
Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 cups apples, diced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Begin the recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a food processor, pulse together 1 cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 large egg, and ½ cup melted coconut oil until it forms a crumbly but sticky mixture.
- Set aside ⅓ of the mixture to use for the topping. Add the rest of the mixture into the prepared parchment-lined baking pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the 2 cups diced apples, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup until heated and the sauce is warm.
- Stir 1 tablespoon chia seeds into the apple mixture and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the crust mixture in the baking dish and spread in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved ⅓ topping that you set aside on top of the apple mixture evenly.
- Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top has lightly browned.
- Carefully remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice into bars and serve.
- Store the extra in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
- May substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour in the same unit of measure.
- May use gluten-free oats.
- Use old-fashioned oats or rolled oats, but not steel cut oats.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Want a few more fall inspired desserts? Try these:
Have any comments, questions, or other ideas for these easy to make Apple Crumble Bars? Please share them in the comments below!
What little slices of heaven those are! I use the myfitnesspal app as well. I love seeing how many steps it estimates that I take. I found it to be pretty spot on. And I love all fall flavors like you!
There are pretty good and I have definitely enjoyed my share of them 🙂
I like seeing my daily steps as well, it’s pretty motivating!
Oh, that looks delicious, and since it has apples, it’s healthy, right?
Thank you and I believe that these are definitely because of apples, chia seeds, and not too much sugar 😉
Yum!!! These bars look delicious!!! I like that they have very little sugar in the recipe.
Thank you…I like that as well, but they are still sweet with the apple 🙂
These apple crumble bars look absolutely delicious! My husband loves everything apple so he would go nuts for these.
Thank you! I love the addition of apple to recipes so I can totally relate 🙂
My struggle everyday in life is eating what I want and staying slim and I am doing the first one but not so great on the second. LOL!
The struggle is real! I can totally relate!!
Easy recipes are my thing! Love that these are easy to whip up and have a healthy factor. I started doing Zumba at home after dropping off the kids. It is HARD to eat healthy consistently for me.
I went to a Zumba class at the gym once and I was so lost…I felt like everyone knew the step except me, but it was a lot of fun and didn’t feel like I was working out. I may do better with the at-home option…LOL!
I’ve been craving apple pie and this apple crumble bar is just as good. Pumpkin, cinnamon, and apple are totally Fall flavors. Congrats on getting a trainer, that’s super exciting.I always say summer bodies are made in the winter! The apple chunks in this bar look amazing.
Thank you! I am definitely going to work on it during the winter this year 😉