Caramel Apple Crumb Bars (GF, Refined SF + Vegan)

These Caramel Apple Crumb Bars are absolutely addicting, on their own or served with a little extra paleo caramel sauce! They are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan.

September is starting to get into full swing now. Schools are back in session, days are getting a little bit shorter, and slowly but surely, the brutally hot summer is coming to a close, making way for brisk fall breezes and leaves of all colors blanketing the sidewalks.

I love the fall and I’m eagerly anticipating the changing weather and all that comes with it. Some of my favorite changes are seen in the kitchen. Lots of my baked goods start to get a hefty dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and leaves my apartment smelling constantly delicious. There’s nothing quite like walking into an apartment that smells like fresh out-of-the-oven apple pie, am I right?

Pumpkin and apple become the stars of my kitchen in the fall, and being that they’re some of my all-time favorite flavors, I can do nothing but totally savor the season and create as many delicious recipes to share with you as I can.

I’ve already been baking up a fall dessert storm, and one of the star standouts so far have been these absolutely delicious Caramel Apple Crumb Bars! So if you didn’t want to make a batch of my paleo caramel sauce before, you’re definitely going to want to make some now, because it’s one of the stars of these delicious bars.

The crust is a crumbly crust made with oats, almond flour, coconut sugar, and coconut oil and it conveniently also doubles as the crumble topping. Hurray for making things easier for you! This crust is similar to the one I used in these similarly delicious peanut butter & jelly crumb bars, which were equally as addicting as this caramel apple version.

The filling is just peeled and chopped apples and that addictive paleo caramel sauce I shared. You could use any caramel sauce you have on hand, but if you want to keep these refined sugar free and/or vegan, make sure you use a caramel sauce that fits those criteria.

My favorite way to devour these caramel apple crumb bars was smushed up into some vanilla coconut milk ice cream. It was ridiculously delicious, and you should definitely try it. These bars are best served refrigerated in my opinion. Whip ’em up, share them with your friends, and you’re sure to make someone’s day. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Bars (GF, Refined SF + Vegan)

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Rachel Conners
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 16 bars 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1½ cups (6 oz.) almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coconut oil (solid at room temperature)
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1 apple (peeled and chopped into 1/4” cubes)
• ¼ cup paleo caramel sauce

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly.
2. In large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the apple and the caramel sauce. Stir until combined.
3. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for the topping. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
4. Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Spread caramel evenly over the crust and then add the apples. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
5. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until bubbling and lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Dessert